Harris County Mud

Applicants sought for appraisal review board

The Appraisal Review Board (ARB) for the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) is accepting applications from Harris County citizens interested in service on the board beginning in January 2012. Applications must be submitted to District Judge Joseph J. “Tad” Halbach, Jr., administrative district judge for the state district courts in Harris County.

Applications must be received no later than Oct. 14, 2011 in order to be considered.

The ARB is a citizen board that sits in panels of three to hear property owner protests that cannot be resolved informally with HCAD.

Service on the review board does not constitute a full-time job but — while conducting hearings — members are compensated. There are two categories of ARB members. A regular ARB member has specific additional duties that go beyond service as a panel member in actual ARB hearings. An ‘auxiliary’ member’s duties include serving only in the role of such hearings.

Whether a regular or auxiliary member, the training is identical and the rate of pay is the same.

Review board service is generally a full-time commitment during the summer and fall months and requires members to be available to serve all day every weekday and many Saturdays from May through September. Weekday hearings are also held at other times of the year. ARB members are not always scheduled every day, but must be available to serve if needed.

Candidates for the ARB must be current residents of Harris County and must have resided in the county for at least two years. Persons who fall into any of the following categories are not eligible to serve:

1. Persons who own an interest in property on which delinquent taxes are due, regardless of where in Texas that property may be located, unless the tax is deferred or being paid under an installment agreement.

2. Individuals that are currently employed by the State Comptroller of Public Accounts, or who are a member of the governing body, an officer, or a full or part-time employee of a county, city, school district, community college district, MUD, or any other entity supported by local property taxes. Former governing body members, or officers of a taxing unit served by HCAD are ineligible for four full years from the date they ceased to serve in that capacity.

Spring Lakes and Harris County MUD 249 Start Recycling

Attn:  Residents of Harris County MUD No. 249

On Saturday April 2, 2011, BEST TRASH will become your new trash collection company.

Trash service is still Wednesday-Saturday.

Please have trash out by 7:00 a.m.

 On each regularly scheduled collection day, Best Trash will collect residential refuse located at the curbside.  Refuse must be in containers or bags not exceeding 50 gallons or weighing over 40 pounds.

 Items excluded from normal collection:  dirt, rocks, bricks, concrete, tires, batteries, motor oil, cooking oil, waste generated by a private contractor or an materials or items deemed hazardous materials.  Please do not dispose of gasoline, motor oil, paints, cooking oil, or any other liquid items in a container that is not visible to Best Trash personnel.  If it results in a spill that causes a stain, Best Trash is not responsible for the cleanup.  Best Trash will leave a tag explaining the reason for any non-collected item(s).

  Trees, shrubs, brush trimmings and fencing:   must be bundled in lengths no greater than 4 feet with no branch diameter exceeding 3 inches .  Bundling is required to allow quick pickup and size limitations are required to avoid damaging the equipment in the crushing process.

 Items such as appliances, furniture, carpet (up to 1 room, cut and rolled up into bundles four feet wide and less than 40 pounds) , cardboard boxes (flattened) , will be picked up either of your collection days.  By Federal Law, refrigerators and freezers or any other items containing Freon must be drained of Freon and have an accompanying bill to validate such service was performed.

  Special pick up for items excluded by the contract:   If notified in advance, Best Trash will meet with you prior to collection day to set a price to haul away non-contract items.  If you do not notify Best Trash of a special pick-up before your scheduled pick up day, Best Trash will leave a notice for you to contact Best Trash during normal office hours to arrange for a price and time for the extra pick up.

Mud

Letter to a Christian nation

They say in Harlan County, an oral history

The end of faith, religion, terror, and the future of reason

My Life and Loves