Local governments get rules on spending Covid relief money
Feds spell out do s and don ts on spending billions
The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday rolled out details on how local governments can spend the billions of dollars coming to them through the American Rescue Plan.
Wichita County, the City of Wichita Falls and the Wichita Falls Independent School District are among thousands of local governments to share in $350 billion dollars aimed at providing relief from the COVID-19 crisis.
The Treasury Department said the money “can be used to respond to acute pandemic response needs, fill revenue shortfalls among these governments, and support the communities and populations hardest-hit by the COVID-19 crisis.”
WFISD looking for input for next school year The district is asking for opinions from parents, staff members, students and community members in regard to health and safety procedures and protocols. By Tyler Boydston | May 11, 2021 at 9:40 AM CDT - Updated May 11 at 9:40 AM
WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - The school year is coming to a close for the Wichita Falls Independent School District, and they’re looking ahead to the fall.
The district is asking for feedback going into the 2021 - 2022 school year.
The district is asking for opinions from parents, staff members, students and community members in regard to health and safety procedures and protocols.
Total property tax appraisals for governing bodies in Wichita County are in. As expected, they increased significantly.
Chief Appraiser Lisa Stephens-Musick said countywide property was appraised at an adjusted value of $7.82 billion. That includes both real estate and personal property. The figure is a 5.08 percent increase over the 2020 figure.
The City of Wichita Falls total adjusted value is $5.745 billion, a 5.3 percent increase.
The Wichita Falls Independent School District value is $4.468 billion, a 4.9 percent increase.
Most taxing entities in the county saw increases, usually in the four- to five-percent range. Electra and its schools were the exception. Lower oil and gas revenue there drove the numbers down.
Millions of dollars to pour into county from federal rescue plan
Local leaders in limbo over how to spend funds
Local entities in Wichita County are in for a windfall beginning in the next few weeks. The county, cities, MSU and the school districts are due to get millions of dollars from the U.S. Treasury Department.
The money is part of the American Rescue Plan Act which was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11 in response to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The money is in addition to the funds local governments got from the CARES Act passed in March 2020.
City sells Fifth Street property
Wichita Falls city councilors voted Tuesday to sell property that s been on the city books for more than a century.
The city will sell the former home of Denver Alternative School at 1823 Fifth St. to The Redeemed Christian Church of God for $300,000. The property was appraised at $455,000 but the church offered the only bid.
The property was leased to the U.S. Navy for many years and more recently to the WIchita Falls Independent School DIstrict for use as Denver School. The school district vacated the property last year and the city decided to sell.