The Fannin County Leader

07/03/2024

Pictured: Jerald Smith (founder of Wing Rodeo Co.), Marvin Thompson (Cowboys Regional Rodeo Association - CRRA president for many years), and Haynes Kueckelhan (founder of the Kueckelhan Ranch Rodeo and also CRRA president for many years). All of these prestigious men were a huge part of founding the CRRA.

We all miss them dearly but love seeing their legacy live on. Come celebrate it with us nightly, July 25-27 at 8:00 PM!

07/03/2024

We need 180 packs of colored pencils to fill backpacks for the Annual School Supply Drive & Resource Fair coming up on August 3rd! Your donations make a huge difference. Shop from your home using our Amazon Wishlist or drop off any new supplies at 112 W 5th St during business hours. Cash support is also appreciated!
Wishlist: https://a.co/8DMdDd4
Venmo:
Online donation: https://fanninccc.org/donate.html

07/01/2024

07/01/2024

Birthdays on page 2 of this week's Leader.
Happy Birthday!!

06/27/2024

Fannin County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 Offices Temporarily Closed
Press Release
by the Office of the County Judge

Beginning Thursday, June 27, 2024 Fannin County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 office will be closed until further notice. Citizens may reach out to the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 office for any needs they may have.

JP 1 Office: 101 E. Sam Rayburn Drive, Suite 109, Bonham, TX, 903-583-7489, [email protected]

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause the citizens of Precinct 2.

06/27/2024

6-25-24 Leader E-Edition
Click the link below to view this week's edition online! All hyperlinks are active, visit our customers web sites or send them an email. View legal notices, news and classifieds.

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06/26/2024

06/26/2024

We need 700 packs of wide ruled notebook paper to fill backpacks for the Annual School Supply Drive & Resource Fair coming up on August 3rd! Last year we served nearly 700 kids in Fannin County and we are expecting to serve around the same again this year. Your donations make a huge difference. Shop from your home using our Amazon Wishlist or drop off any new supplies at 112 W 5th St during business hours. Cash support is also appreciated!
Wishlist: https://a.co/8DMdDd4
Venmo:
Online donation: https://fanninccc.org/donate.html

06/24/2024

This week's Fishing Pic on page 16...congratulations Kam!

06/24/2024

Emergency Medical Services Bid Awarded

By Newt Cunningham
Fannin County Judge

On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, the Fannin County Commissioners Court had to make a hard call. The Court, with the sole exception of Commissioner Self, voted to award the next contract to provide county residents with emergency medical services (“EMS”) to Bluebird Medical Enterprises, LLC d/b/a Allegiance Mobile Health (“Allegiance”). The City of Bonham is currently contracted to provide those services. Under current contract, this fiscal year the County will pay Bonham $808,617.98. The contract will end in September of this year.

As required by law, The County went out for request for proposals (“RFP”). The RFPs were received from three qualified entities willing to provide emergency medical services. Those entities included the City of Bonham, City Ambulance Service, and Allegiance. Obviously, the County would have preferred to have awarded the contract to the City of Bonham. The Proposals were fairly evaluated. The City of Bonham offered to provide the requested services next year for $1.8 million. City Ambulance Service offered to provide service next year for $1,794,620.58. Allegiance is agreeing to provide service for three years for $780,000 a year.

Allegiance will be responsible for the management and operation of the service. They will cover the cost of operation. They will be, among other things, providing the County with three full time ambulances each staffed with six EMS employees. They will be providing emergency medical service beginning October 1, 2024. An ambulance will probably be located in Honey Grove, and Leonard. A location has yet to be selected in western Fannin County. The service will be available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
It was a hard call, but I believe it’s what is best for the majority of our citizens. As a County, we do not have a million dollars to spare.

06/21/2024

We need 100 black sharpies to fill backpacks for the Annual School Supply Drive & Resource Fair coming up on August 3rd! Your donations make a huge difference. Shop from your home using our Amazon Wishlist or drop off any new supplies at 112 W 5th St during business hours. Cash support is also appreciated!
Wishlist: https://a.co/8DMdDd4
Venmo:
Online donation: https://fanninccc.org/donate.html

06/19/2024

6-18-24 Leader E-Edition
Click the link below to view this week's edition online! All hyperlinks are active, visit our customers web sites or send them an email. View legal notices, news and classifieds.

Read 6-18-24 Leader E-Edition by The Fannin County Leader on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

06/17/2024

Looking for…Income Tax Service, Chinese Buffet, Hair Care, Crossword Puzzle or Sudoku? See page 7 of this week's Leader!

06/17/2024

To Abate or Not Abate? That is the Question

By Newt Cunningham
Fannin County Judge

In Texas, cities, counties, and special districts may offer tax breaks to attract new industries, encourage the retention and development of business; and promote capital investment. These generally take the form of a tax abatement which may include a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement. In short, a tax abatement is an economic development tool. To offer a tax abatement, the governmental entity must comply with the requirements set out in Texas statutes including those contained in Chapter 312 of the Tax Code. Tax abatements can be offered for up to 10 years and for up to 100% of taxes due on qualifying property. According to The Texas State Comptroller, benefits derived from effective use of this tool include:
• Reducing unemployment. A new business creates jobs. People employed by the business may use their income to build homes and buy goods and services, cars and other personal necessities.
•Strengthening other businesses. Established businesses benefit when a new business opens. The increase in patrons allows other businesses to grow by investing in capital improvements and hiring new employees.
• Increasing tax revenue. When an abatement is offered, the community still benefits from increased tax revenues. Employees of a new business spend their money at local stores (which boosts sales tax receipts) and often build new homes (which increases property tax receipts). These things occur without the need to increase tax rates.
• Tax receipts continue to grow long term after the abatement expires. Once a business is well-established within a community, the improvements and facilities that are added can be taxed. The tax rate and revenue from developed property is higher than on undeveloped property. This creates a long-term source of revenue for local government entities.
Fannin County has offered and provided investors tax abatements in the past. How effective have these abatements been in attracting desirable development? The results have been mixed. While some abatements granted by the County have fostered desirable development, improved our community, providing our citizens with good jobs and added services, others have fallen woefully short. In recent years, the County has awarded virtual “tax free” status to solar farms. Eight-year abatements at 100%. These solar farms were able to avoid paying millions of dollars in property taxes and were surprisingly not required to enter into PILOT agreements. The question is why? Fannin County taxpayers have been making up the difference. Adjoining property values have been adversely effected.
The County has recently been asked to provide abatements to wind farms and battery plants. Are green energy plantations desirable development? Do they create local jobs, do they add to tax revenue, will they have taxable value after the abatements expire? Solar panels depreciate very rapidly. Views on the benefit and dependability of green energy have changed drastically after the spike in energy prices following the “snowvid” of 2021-2022. At that time in a matter of days, energy speculators using battery farms made billions of dollars at the consumers' expense.
Green energy developers are now offering to enter into PILOT agreements in return for Fannin County accommodating wind farms, with 800 foot windmills, solar farms, and battery farms. A PILOT agreement generally provides for payment of a specific amount of money to be paid to a governmental entity over a specific period of time, generally the time an abatement is in place. PILOT agreements do not directly affect tax rates. Why do the developers ask for PILOTs? Will they go else where if we don’t grant them?
All said and done, the questions remain. First, what type of development do we as citizens of Fannin County want to attract, encourage and promote? How about a TI plant employing hundreds of our citizens? Second, how do we use tax abatements and PILOT agreements to attract, encourage and promote desired development?
Generally, granting an abatement requires the county to follow a six-step process. The process can be summarized as follows:
1. A county is required to create guidelines and criteria regarding how local tax abatement agreements will be decided for both new and existing facilities/structures.
2. A county may designate an area as a reinvestment zone after the guidelines and criteria have been approved and a public hearing has been held.
3. A county may not enter into an abatement agreement until it adopts a resolution stating that the taxing unit elects to become eligible to participate in a tax abatement (Section 312.002 (a), Texas Tax Code).
4. A county must provide public notice and conduct a public hearing prior to approving a tax abatement agreement.
5. A county may approve the tax abatement agreement at a public hearing by a majority vote.
6. A county must make appropriate filings with The Texas State Comptroller.
Obviously, we cannot grant tax breaks to everyone. For me, the question is who deserves one? It’s time to PLAN.

06/16/2024

The tables were turned on the Hickory BBQ Blevins family this evening.

After decades of serving the community, the community served up some honor and appreciation.

Business owners, friends and family came together in what was reported around 7 pm to be over 600 in numbers.

Their years of BBQing and catering will be long remembered by many who have been there through it all.

Thank you, Hickory BBQ, for the memories!

06/12/2024

6-11-24 Leader E-Edition
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06/10/2024

Looking for....boat sales, fishing picture and fishing reports, fence/corral construction, dozer service, fishing guide, lake level report, livestock commission reports, classifieds, lost cattle incidents? See page 16 of this week's Leader!

06/10/2024

Save the date for a spectacular evening at the Lights over Lake Bonham Fireworks Show on Saturday, July 6th. Join us at 7506 Lake Bonham Drive, Bonham, Texas, for an electrifying fireworks display. This event is open to the public, so don't forget to bring your lawn chair and get ready to be amazed!

Book your camp spot and stay the weekend. Click on the link below at https://www.campspot.com/book/lakebonhamrecreationarea

06/06/2024

Jerry Harris, the father of a cold case murder victim, committed su***de at the department Tuesday morning.

06/05/2024

6-4-24 Leader E-Edition
Click the link below to view this week's edition online! All hyperlinks are active, visit our customers web sites or send them an email. View legal notices, news and classifieds.

Read 6-4-24 Leader E-Edition by The Fannin County Leader on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

06/03/2024

Red River Valley Yard Sale on page 3 of this week's Leader!

06/03/2024

June birthdays on page 2 of this week's Leader.

05/29/2024

Join Fresh Aesthetics Barbershop Saturday, June 1st from 12 - 5 pm
•LIVE MUSIC from 2 - 3 pm•
Small Town Summer Kickoff at 100 John F. Kennedy - Bonham.

05/29/2024

Looking for... fun events for the family, machine rentals, Ag drill rentals, outdoor worship and music or roofing and construction? Page 9 of this week's Leader...