Bill Spinks

Bill Spinks

  • Joined: October 6, 2023
  • Articles: 2112

Midlo Memo

Bill Spinks wspinks@cherryroad.com A calendar of events in the Midlothian and surrounding areas. Clubs and organizations are encouraged to send meeting and event notices to wspinks@cherryroad.com for inclusion. Ellis County Commissioners’ Court Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2 p.m. Ellis County Historic Courthouse, 101 West Main, Waxahachie The Ellis County Commissioners’ Court meets in regular session every two weeks. Midlothian City Council Tuesday, Nov. 26, 6 p.m. New City Hall and Library, 215 North 8th St. The Midlothian City Council meets in regular session on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Lariat Bridge Club Tuesday, Nov. 26, 6:15 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 505 W. Marvin Ave. Room 122, Waxahachie The Lariat Bridge Club runs an ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge game every Tuesday evening. Non-members are always welcome. Contact Jim Bishop at 972-923-6838 or jbishvb46@gmail.com for more information and to confirm attendance. Carter BloodCare Blood Drive Sunday, Dec. 1, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. First Methodist Church, 800 S. 9th St. At the Carter BloodCare blood drive, hosted by First Methodist Church Midlothian, each volunteer donor will receive a brand-new blanket. Sign Up Link: https://www.greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/148289 Carter BloodCare Blood Drive Monday, Dec. 2, 8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Old Midlothian City Hall, 104 West Avenue E At the Carter BloodCare blood drive, hosted by City of Midlothian, each volunteer donor will receive a brand-new blanket. Sign Up Link: https://www.greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/145240 Midlothian Christmas Tree Lighting Monday, Dec. 2, 6-7 p.m. Heritage Park, Downtown Midlothian Join us as we usher in the holiday season with an evening of community fellowship, Christmas spirit, and the lighting of our beautiful Christmas tree in Heritage Park. In case of rain, the event will be postponed to Dec. 3. Midlothian Rotary Club Meeting Tuesday, Dec. 3, noon-1 p.m. Jalapeño’s Lemon Pepper, 1000 George Hopper Road The Midlothian Rotary Club meets every Tuesday. For […]

MISD leaders react to VATRE defeat

Bill Spinks wspinks@cherryroad.com Midlothian ISD faces some difficult budgetary decisions going forward following last Tuesday’s rejection of a voter-approved tax rate election, or VATRE, that would not have changed property tax rates in the school district. MISD voters turned down the proposed school funding proposition to authorize the district to access three “golden pennies” that would have generated an additional $4.7 million in revenue for the district’s operating budget. The additional revenue was slated to defray the district’s projected $5.6 million budget deficit and preserve budget priorities. According to the Ellis County Elections Office, the final unofficial results were 12,298 for and 16,530 against the proposition. The MISD Board of Trustees will canvass and certify the vote at its next regular meeting this Monday. “We are disappointed with the outcome,” MISD Board of Trustees President Gary Vineyard said in an MISD news release. “We’ve got some tough challenges ahead.” Superintendent Dr. David Belding added in the release, “The district will begin evaluating the next steps and developing a contingency plan to deal with budget shortfalls, rising inflationary costs, unfunded state mandates and the need to preserve student programming and experiences while still attracting and retaining high-quality staff. There’s a lot to consider going forward into the next budget year. We know we can’t keep dipping into our reserve for day-to-day operations.” The estimated $4.7 million in revenue included $1.8 million in untapped state funding that MISD cannot access without voter approval of the additional three golden pennies. The district said it will pull revenue from its 90-day reserves (fund balance) to cover the projected $5.6 million 2024-2025 fiscal year deficit. “We put forth what we considered to be the most fiscally responsible approach to access and maximize local and state funding,” Vineyard said in the release. “Our stewardship in paying […]