Roger Estlack

December sales drove sales tax collections higher in two Donley County municipalities, according to Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar.

Clarendon’s allocation for February rose 3.12 percent to $47,348.64 compared to $45,914.54 for the same period last year. The city is now 7.01 percent ahead for the calendar year-to-date with sales tax revenue of $80,727.73.

City Administrator David Dockery said this month is the best February on record for the city.

Howardwick was up 14.23 percent for the month at $1,836.45 and is now 17.77 percent ahead for the calendar year at $3,434.35.

The City of Hedley’s allocation, however, was down 16.63 percent to $1,233.84 this month and is down 3.03 percent for the year at $1,914.53.

Statewide, Hegar distributed $1.05 billion in local sales tax allocations for February, 0.7 percent more than in February 2020.

These allocations are based on sales made in December by businesses that report tax monthly; October, November and December sales by quarterly filers; and 2020 sales by businesses that report tax annually.

Clarendon College’s spring 2021 numbers show a decrease in overall enrollment compared to one year ago.

CC officials believe that the decrease for the academic year has a strong correlation with the current COVID pandemic.

Headcounts following the 12th day of classes last week on February 3 show total enrollment of 1,279 students, which reflects a 12 percent overall decrease in enrollment compared to spring 2020, according to CC Registrar Brandi Havens.

The college did show an increase in two areas. CC’s Amarillo Cosmetology Center is up 23 percent with 53 students. CC is also showing an increase in students choosing to take only Online classes for the current term with an overall increase of six percent going from 133 last spring to 141 currently.

All other CC counts were down. The main campus in Clarendon dropped 13 percent to 233, the Childress Center saw a 19 percent decrease with 34 students, and the Pampa Center dropped 32 percent to 113 this spring compared to 167 a year ago.

Dual credit enrollment, high school students taking college classes, dropped from 647 last spring to 609.

CC saw a decrease in correctional institutions as well with the Jordan unit in Pampa going from 65 to 48 spring over spring, and the Roach unit in Childress going from 76 down to 48.

Total contact hours for Clarendon College for the spring 2021 semester show a decrease of 13.8 percent overall compared to spring 2020.

Only one local government has enough candidates to have a contested election this spring as the sign-up deadline nears this week.

Candidates can continue to file for office at seven local governments through this Friday, February 12.

As of Tuesday, the City of Clarendon had four people running for two positions on the city council. Alderman Jacob Fangman is seeking re-election and will be joined on the ballot by former alderman Tommy Hill, former Clarendon Economic Development board member Terri Floyd, and junior high principal Travis Victory. Mayor Sandy Skelton is also seeking re-election.

According to the Enterprise’s most recent information, the following entities have not yet attracted enough candidates for contested elections: the cities of Hedley and Howardwick; the Clarendon and Hedley school districts; the Donley County Hospital District; and the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District – Precinct 5.

All three incumbents whose seats are expiring on the Donley County Hospital District Board of Directors have filed for re-election to two-year terms. Those officials are Rose Lemley – Place 1, Jeff Robertson – Place 2, and Melinda McAnear – Place 3.

Clarendon ISD Trustees Wayne Hardin and Wes Hatley are running to serve three more years.

Hedley ISD incumbents have also all filed to run again. Dana Bell and Carole Ward are running for their full terms. Bruce Howard is running to continue to serve one year is remaining on the seat formerly held by Billy Hall, and, Shauna Herbert is running to continue to serve out the two years remaining on Susan Cosby’s term.

In Howardwick the terms of Mayor Tony Clemishire and Aldermen Jerry Mullanax and Johnny Floyd are expiring. Those are all two-year terms, and Clemishire and Floyd have filed to run again. Jada Murray has also filed to run for alderman.

Hedley has three aldermen’s seats up this year. Those are two-year terms and are currently held by Aldermen Tonya Metcalf, Alicia Hanes, and Trisha Chambless. Incumbents Metcalf and Hanes have filed to run, and Tom Carson is also running.

The Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors has five directors up for election this year, including the four-year term currently held by Chancy Cruse – Precinct 5, which encompasses most of Donley County.

All local boards are elected at-large, but hospital board candidates must file for a specific place on the ballot. Candidate applications are available from the administrative offices of each entity.

Elections are scheduled to be held Saturday, May 1, 2021.

The Clarendon Family Medical Center reports only two new cases of COVID-19 in Donley County residents this week.

Active cases as of Tuesday morning was listed at 11, down from 18 this time last week.

CFMD spokesperson Marsha Bruce said the cases are slowing at the clinic, but there is still no word on when the next allotment of vaccine might arrive here.

The total number of tests conducted by the clinic now stands at 1,223 with 865 negatives and 358 positives. With the known number of positive tests conducted on local resident at facilities outside the county, that total number of positive cases is now at 401 since the pandemic began.

Officials still note that totals for Donley County lag for people testing at locations outside the county.

Donley County Constable Doug Wright has resigned effective at the end of last month, according to Judge John Howard.

Wright, who was just elected to a new four-year term in November, resigned to spend more time with his family, the judge said.

Donley County Commissioners considered the constable’s position during their regular meeting on Monday but took no action on filling that vacancy. Howard said the duties of that office are being performed by the Donley County Sheriff’s Office.

In other county news, Howard said a grant has been received to purchase new voting equipment that will be more digitized and easier to use and have less chance for human error in counting ballots.

The grant will provide $107,000 of the cost of the new equipment with the county providing a match of $13,000.

Howard said the county was going to be required to upgrade its equipment eventually and this grant provided an opportunity for most of that expense to be covered.