Bring in your tree for
YOU ROCK, LHHS PANTHERS!
FREE RECYCLING! Please remove all tags, decorations and plastic.
RECEIVE 10% OFF COUPON FOR FUTURE PURCHASE WITH TREE DROP OFF #walkertough
Mon-Sat 7am-5pm • 14775 W SH 29, Liberty Hill • (512) 515-1336 • www.989Rock.com
2020
Volume 34, Issue 6
www.LHIndependent.com
News@LHIndependent.com
December 31, 2020 | 50 Cents
School officials set to watch Legislature closely
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor When the Texas Legislature convenes for its 87th Session on Jan. 12, public education officials from across the state will be watching closely. Liberty Hill ISD Superintendent Steve Snell will be among those keeping a close eye on things. While public school finance is always on the radar, Snell believes that due to state revenue questions and so many other issues at the forefront right now, it is not anticipated that there will be much activity on how public schools are financed, or dramatic changes in budget numbers for schools. “I don’t see any legislative appetite for that right now,” Snell said of the long-fought battle over funding formulas. “The biggest thing for schools is finance, obviously, and increasing that basic allotment. There are different metrics on how good or bad the budget is going to be for this next biennium, but I think it is better than we were expecting six months ago.” The Texas Comptroller will publish the biannual Certification Revenue Estimate (CRE) in January that will guide the legislative budgeting process for the session. In January 2019, Comptroller Glenn Hegar projected a $119.1 billion revenue estimate for the 2020-2021 biennium. A revised estimate published last September showed $110.19 billion available for general-purpose spending in the 2020-2021 biennium, a 0.8 percent decrease from the 2018-2019 biennium. It is unclear at this time where the new revenue estimates for the state will fall. For Snell, the most important funding issue is maintaining the fast-growth allotment that LHISD receives. The district is funded for the next year based on snapshot data at the end of October and the district has already added more than 30 students since that snapshot date. From the 2019 to the 2020 snapshot dates, 670 new students moved into the district. The fast-growth allotment helps to mitigate increases that aren’t easily captured in the annual snapshot. “For Liberty Hill ISD it is very important we continue with the fast-growth allotment,” Snell said. “We get some extra revenue just based on the fact we are fast growth. We’re always concerned about that.” The district was forced to lower the maintenance and
See LEGISLATURE, Page 5 ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
ONWARD!
The Panthers celebrated after winning a thriller over Rouse Saturday to propel them into the Regional Final this Saturday. The game will be against Sharyland Pioneer at San Antonio’s Heroes Stadium at 5 p.m. See more sports on Page 6.
City Public Works reorganized, director Bonnet resigns
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor It was confirmed Wednesday that Public Works Director Wayne Bonnet – who had held the position since July 2014 – resigned Dec. 21, one day before the City Council voted in favor of a department reorganization proposed by City Administrator Lacie Hale. The City did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding Bonnet’s resignation and Bonnet could not be reached for comment. In early December, the City Council authorized the hiring of consultant AJ Olson to evaluate the operations of the wastewater treatment plant. At the Dec. 14 meeting the Council took a second step in authorizing the newly-appointed Hale to
reorganize the Public Works Department, and that proposal was approved eight days later on Dec. 22. “As you know, I was elevated to the position of City Administrator in the last half of October,” Hale wrote in a response to questions from The Independent about the reorganization. “Since coming into this role I have been actively evaluating a number of the City’s operations including Public Works. Partly based on (Olson’s) recommendations, the City Engineer’s recommendations and discussions with the Public Works staff, a change was warranted.” Hale confirmed a change in leadership in the department, saying Jay Holmes, the City’s Project Manager, would serve as the interim
director as final decisions are made regarding staffing and potential policy changes. “As you know, with Wayne Bonnet stepping down, there has been a change of leadership in Public Works, but whether more changes happen with the current personnel is currently unsettled,” Hale wrote. “What I expect to see in the coming weeks and months are updated safety and operations policies as well as updated (standard operating procedures) related to all facets of that department, not simply wastewater, and Jay will be leading that effort.” The City is still facing a potential lawsuit connected to complaints about the effluent put into the South San
See PUBLIC, Page 10
Local Bishop shares stories of faith in ‘Come Ride with Me’
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Faith in a higher power can be a life-changing experience for some. Many believers chalk up miracles in their lives to their faith. Mantle of Hope Ministries Bishop Chris Nwoke has gathered over 100 testimonies of the power of faith and belief in God in his book, Come and Ride with Me. “It’s a call for action. God is saying you can depend on me. There are so much trouble and uncertainty in the world today,” said Nwoke. “With all that is going on, it is important to know that God is big-
ger than our problems. He can make a mountain a molehill if we let him through faith and look to him. The book is full of inspirational scripture messages, matters of faith, and issues of our time. It provides insight into how God has done extraordinary things in the lives of ordinary people.” The inspiration for Nwoke’s book comes from his desire to help those struggling to find solutions to their problems through God. “The feedback I received from people over the years as I shared these messages showed me the importance of putting all of these messages
COVID cases reach highest totals City of Liberty Hill won’t release local numbers
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Texas has grappled with COVID-19 for nearly 10 months as 2020 draws to a close, but to date, the state continues to struggle in that fight. December was predicted by health officials to be a record month for new cases and through 29 days Texas has seen 350,388, topping the previous record set in November by 70,000 cases. The number represents more than 20 percent of all cases since the pandemic reached Texas. An even greater concern are the increases in numbers elected and health officials have identified as key indicators
to gauge the state’s success against the virus – the testing positivity rate and hospitalizations. Gov. Greg Abbott said last spring that it was critical to keep the positivity rate below 10 percent, but it topped that number on Nov. 30 and has continued a steady climb throughout the month, reaching 17.15 percent Tuesday. Hospitalizations have also increased nearly 50 percent, sitting at 11,775 across the state. Williamson County has also been hit harder this month, with more than one third of all cases since March being confirmed in December. There
See COVID, Page 8
together. Through prayer, we did,” he said. “With that, we thought it would benefit more people because the word of God is eternal, and the messages as such also transcend time. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.” Nwoke’s journey saw him arrive at his faith in 1988, but it wasn’t until a decade later that he realized his true calling was spreading the word of the Lord. “It truly brought about a big change in my life,” said Nwoke. “I have seen the hand of God. Over time, as a Mantle of Hope Ministries Bishop Chris Nwoke is sharing over 100 stories of the power of faith and God in his book, Come Ride See FAITH, Page 8 with Me. (Courtesy Photo)