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County awards software bid
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KAUFMAN–Getting the Kaufman County Tax office and the Appraisal District
on the same software program was the main goal of county commissioners
Monday.
Commissioners approved a $233,896 bid from True Automation for a
software program for the Tax Assessor/Collector’s office to coordinate
with the Kaufman County Single Appraisal District.
The award was made at the recommendation of a three-man committee,
Kaufman Technology Director George York, Purchasing Agent Jack Sabastian
and Tax Assessor/Collector Richard Murphy.
The software will help with the long-standing problem of communication
between the tax office and the appraisal district, speeding up the
process of sending out tax notices.
“There are small cities around that can’t meet payrolls if the taxes
aren’t collected,” York explained.
The approval was made with one stipulation, that the county be given
something in writing from the appraisal district to assure the county
will be notified of any intent to change software.
In other business, commissioners:
• approved a salary increase for early voting election personnel, to
reflect higher pay for extra hours spent working the polls.
Election judges will receive an increase of $1.50 per hour and clerks
will receive an extra $2 per hour.
• instructed Scurry Mayor Robert Stewart to adopt the county subdivision
regulations so the city council can then approve the re-plat of Amber
Heights.
Since the subdivision in question is located within the city limits of
Scurry, and its extra territorial jurisdiction, the county cannot act on
the re-plat request, County Judge Wayne Gent explained.
• agreed to advertise for a RFP for a system upgrade of the sheriff’s
office dispatch console, NPSPAC repeater station, VHF control, stations
and associated hardware.
Bids must be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday, June 16, and will be reviewed
at 10 a.m. Monday, June 19.
• approved a request from Sprint Telephone Company to install buried
communications cable in Precinct 4, along the right-of-way of County
Road 4027, CR 4042, CR 4055, CR 4056 and CR 4060 and Travis Lane in
Precinct 1.
• approved the deputation of Brooke Haar and Donald Newbourn for the
sheriff’s department.
• acknowledged the filing of the Dallas Crown Inc. Slaughter Report for
the week ending May 6.
• set a workshop for 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, to explore how to create
needed courtrooms for the county. All Kaufman judges will be invited to
attend to offer suggestions.
• approved budget transfers as presented by County Auditor Hal D. Jones.
• paid bills totaling $460,605.52.
White discusses ‘Whiskey
Rebellion” at RootSeekers
Special to The Monitor
MABANK–The speaker for the Rootseekers Genealogical Society this month
was Mary Sue White. Mary belongs to the Sarah Maples DAR, RootSeekers,
Colonial Dames and many, many other societies.
She has done research on at least a dozen of her ancestors that she has
added to her DAR lineage.
She has been researching the “Whiskey Rebellion,” and agreed to share
her findings with us.
The “Whiskey Rebellion” occurred Aug. 1, 1794, when Alexander Hamilton
put together an agreement between the states and the federal government,
that the federal government would assume all the debts incurred by the
states during the Revolutionary War.
In return, the states agreed that the nation’s capitol city would be
moved south from Philadelphia to a backwoods, mosquito-infested
swampland located on the banks of the Potomac River between Virginia and
Maryland.
In order to finance the payback of these debts, Hamilton came up with
the idea of imposing an excise tax on whiskey. The tax was seven cents a
gallon, based on the capacity of the still, and not on how much one
actually produced.
They failed to realize the depth of hatred of Americans for what was
called “internal taxation.”
Internal taxes meant that the hated tax man would be in your face and on
your property, searching and examining your records and your life,
looting and destroying.
Actually, no one paid the tax on whiskey through the American “back
country,” which included areas of Maryland, Virginia, North and South
Carolina, Georgia and all of Kentucky.
The whiskey tax was particularly hated in the back country because
whiskey production and distilling were widespread.
Whiskey was a home product for most farmers, and it was often used as
money, a medium of exchange.
Opposition to the federal excise tax program was one of the causes of
the Jeffersonian “Revolution” of 1800.
One of the accomplishments of the first Jefferson term as president was
to repeal the entire excise tax program.
Except for the War of 1812, the federal government never again dared to
impose an internal tax until the North transformed the American
Constitution by centralizing the nation during “The War of Northern
Aggression,” also known as the Civil War.
Our ancestors would be spinning in their graves if they knew what we now
pay in taxes.
Pioneer Day set for June 24
Special to The Monitor
EUSTACE–The 31st Annual Eustace Pioneer Day is scheduled for Saturday,
June 24. A day of family fun is in order. See the chart for a full
schedule.
Now’s the time to order booth space. Booths with electricity are $20,
and those without electricity are $10. To reserve your space, call Cary
Reeve, at (903) 425-2751.
Something new this year is a 5K run/walk. Entry fee is $20 and includes
a T-shirt. Awards will be presented to the top three participants in
each age group. For more information, call Gene Myers at (903) 425-5348.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in the Pioneer Day parade, which
begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. from the high school parking lot. For
information, call chairman Ed Reeve at (903) 425-0149.
The “42” tournament at the community center will again offer prize
trophies donated by Jane Beeson and chairman Robert Reeve. Bingo is also
scheduled at this location, under chairperson LaFaye McCarter.
There will also be horseshoe pitching with prizes. Chairpersons are
Jerry and Joel Boyd. A cake walk is being sponsored by the Eustace
Primary School.
A pet show is being planned by chairpersons Rick and Diane Shaffer, who
may be reached at (903) 425-4082.
Others involved in bringing a fun day for all include:
• Kung Fu instructor Ellis Beam, at (903) 425-0138.
• Diamond Dawgs owner and instructor Seetha Stegall, (903) 880-0092, and
• Razzle Dazzle owner and instructor Teri Rohm, (903) 451-3245.
• 8 a.m. 5K race,
• 9 a.m. Booth bazaar opens on the Eustace town square.
• 10 a.m Pioneer Day Parade.
• 10:45 a.m. Domino “42” tournament at the Eustace Community Center.
• 11 a.m. Log Cabin Swingers will perform at the gazebo.
• 11:30 a.m. Kung Fu demonstration on the lawn
• Noon. The Allen Family band performs at the gazebo.
• 1 p.m. Pet show
• 1:30 p.m. Diamond Dawgs perform on the square.
• 1:45 p.m. Razzle Dazzle Dance performs at the gazebo.
• 2 p.m. Texas Praise performs.
• 2:15 p.m Bingo at the Eustace Community Center.
• 3 p.m. Games and contests, egg toss, sack race and three-legged race.
• 4 p.m. Les Robb will entertain at the gazebo.
• 8 p.m. Street Dance featuring John Allen and Whiplash. Dancing till
midnight.
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