Local News
Too tough to tell
East Texas cities describe life after alcohol elections
JACKSONVILLE — Mapping out the precise effect of alcohol sales on a city’s crime or economic status is an incredibly difficult to impossible ordeal, city officials from a variety of East Texas cities agreed.
Corsicana City Manager Connie Standridge said the city’s sales tax is not broken down in such a way as to identify how much of the revenue comes from alcohol sales.
“There’s no way to tell, for example, how much Walmart sells,” Standridge said. “Statewide, vendors do not break out the sale of alcohol.”
She said the city has budgeted $1,500 a year for off-premises consumption and $1,500 more from restaurants, in addition to a larger $30,000 allotment which represents tax paid to the state for the purchase of any mixed drink.
“This goes to the general revenue fund,” she said.
Standridge said much of this goes to projects like public safety and street maintenance.
She also said the city’s sales tax revenue has been up since 2005; alcohol sales were legalized in Corsicana in 2004, she said. The total was $4.5 million in 2005, and in 2009 it was $5 million.
“I could not make the statement that all of that is attributed to alcohol,” she said.
Rusk legalized alcohol sales within the city last year. City Manager Mike Murray said though the city’s sales tax numbers have seen a rising trend over the course of the past few years, it’s difficult to attribute any of it to alcohol sales.
“I would imagine any time a new product is sold you have to factor it in,” he said.
Murray said an extra $50,000 was put into the city’s most recent budget, but added this would be either partially or entirely present had alcohol sales not passed in the polls.
“Sales tax revenue could have continued to rise or gone down just as easily,” he said of the possibility of alcohol sales influencing the city’s economy.
Winona city officials said because the city of Winona legalized alcohol sales in late 2009, it’s still too early to comment on how alcohol sales might affect the local economy.
According to the state comptroller Web site, Winona’s current sales tax allocations stand at a 150.6 percent increase in March, 2010, compared to March, 2009; $6,201.25 against $2,474.52. To date the city has increased by 57.31 percent to represent a former number of $7,123.21 compared to the current number of $11,205.54.
Though it’s hard to call whether alcohol shifts city revenue one way or the other, Rusk Police Department Assistant Chief Roy Cavazoz said Rusk has not seen an increase in alcohol-related crime since the city went wet.
“We haven’t had enough time to see a trend,” Cavazoz said. “It seems to have stayed about the same.”
He added calls for people driving while intoxicated may have actually gone down a small amount due to closer proximity of alcohol providers, but also said he hasn’t seen much of a change in anything.
Corsicana Police Chief Randy Bratton said it’s difficult to tell whether alcohol has any bearing on crime rates.
“I don’t think there’s any way to isolate it,” he said.
Bratton said the city’s crime rate, however, is at its lowest in 30 years, with high profile crimes like sexual assaults down five or so percent from last year.
He also said the city has emphasized DWI enforcement since 2009 and arrests went up significantly.
Winona Police Chief Robert Tapley could not be reached for comment Thursday or Friday afternoons.
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More life jackets needed
Lake Jacksonville is fresh out of its 18 or so life jackets put up for visitors to borrow and return, said Jacksonville Fire Department Chief Paul White.
The life jackets were added as part of the “Kids Don’t Float” program just before July 4. -
City hires Silvey as building inspector
Jacksonville has a new building inspector after three or so months of keeping a vacant position.
Building Official Jody Watson said the new hire, Chris Silvey, brings strong Jacksonville ties with him. -
JISD evaluation instrument sees few tweaks
It happens every year at Jacksonville Independent School District: the board of trustees evaluates the sitting superintendent, then decides whether to renew the superintendents contract.
After this, Board President James Houser said the board looks at what changes might need to be made to the instrument used to evaluate the superintendent. -
Chamber joins Texas Trail
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce has joined the Texas Forest Trail Partnership Program for 2010, said Chamber President Peggy Renfro.
It is a partnership that has happened in the past, she added, but now the Chamber will take a more active role. -
Mission House helps community
In Bullard, an organization called Mission House has been working since 2005 to better the community and the surrounding East Texas areas.
“I believe it was 2005 when I opened Mission House,” said Hazel Mason, mission coordinator for First United Methodist Church. -
What's News for July 29, 2010
Get your non-profit organization’s fundraisers and other events in the Daily Progress’s What’s News calendar free of charge by e-mailing event information to living@jacksonvilleprogress.com. The newspaper reserves the right to edit any submission for space and content
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JFD fireman electrocuted at incident site
Jacksonville Fire Department Lt. David Glidewell received a medium strength electrical shock at a house fire on the 900 block of Fort Worth at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Fire Marshall Dennis Tate said Glidewell was treated and released from ETMC-Jacksonville Tuesday evening and should be back to work Thursday. -
Mayor holds meetings with residents
Jacksonville’s citizens are looking forward to the coming opportunities for earnest discussions with Mayor Robert Haberle.
Some, such as Janis Adams, said she believes Haberle’s decision to open a room for citizens every other week is a good one. -
Rusk PD arrests 13
The Rusk Police Department arrested 13 people in mid-July for various charges. Among these were five or six arrested for traffic charges or charges alleged in conjunction with being in a motor vehicle. All arrests were made between July 8 and July 23, according to police department officials.
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Take a dive
Five-year-old Dylan Caldwell takes his first ever dive at the Jacksonville city pool. The Alto boy was coaxed in by family members who swam with him.
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