Breckenridge Texan

At the request of the Picketville Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Mayor Bob Sims declared March 2022 as Texas History Month in Breckenridge.

DRT member Barbara Thompson was at the City of Breckenridge’s City Commission meeting on March 1 to accept the formal proclamation. The DRT celebrates Texas History Month in March because several significant dates in Texas history are in March, including:

• March 2 — Texas Independence Day and Flag Day, celebrating Texas’ declaration of independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836
• March 2 — Sam Houston’s birthday on March 2, 1793
• March 6 — Alamo Heroes Day, remembering the fall of the Alamo on March 6, 1836
• March 27 — Goliad Heroes Day, remembering the deaths of 342 Texans at Goliad on March 27, 1836, after their surrender in the Battle of Coleto

In 2003, the Texas Legislature approved legislation that ensures March of every year will be Texas History Month, as observed by the State of Texas.

Honoring Calvin Chaney

Breckenridge Mayor Bob Sims, right, presents a “key to the city” to former Fire Chief Calvin Chaney, who retired in January. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Prior to the March 1 meeting, the City staff honored former Calvin Chaney with a retirement party. Chaney’s last day as the Breckenridge Fire Chief was in January, but his original retirement party was postponed due to COVID-19 exposure in the City offices.

Chaney went to work for the City when he was 21 and spent 30 years working for the City of Breckenridge. After his retirement, he went to work at a new position with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.

During the meeting, the mayor presented Chaney with a “key to the City.”

Canceling May Election

The commissioners voted to cancel the previously scheduled May 7 General Election because there were no candidates with opponents.

The only candidates to sign up for the open positions were:

• Bob Sims for Mayor
• Rob Durham for Commissioner Place 2
• Greg Akers for Commissioner Place 1

They will receive their certificates of election at the commission meeting in May.

Other business

At the meeting, the City Commissioners also received the annual audit report from Daniel Hungerford, a Certified Public Accountant with George, Morgan & Sneed, P.C. “It says that your financial statements are fairly stated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles,” he said about the report. “It’s a clean opinion; it’s the type of opinion you want to see in your financial statements.”

Additionally, the commissioners approved a resolution to apply for a $55,000 grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture for the funding of a comprehensive planning study.

“This is a process in which the community assesses what it has, what it had, what it wants and how it achieves what it wants,” Breckenridge City Manager Erika McComis said. “And as a reminder, zoning regulations are adopted in accordance with the comp plan. The plan should be reviewed every five to 10 years, depending on how it’s set out. The city’s current comp plan, as far as what staff has researched back and found, it is a 1968 to 1990 comp plan, which means it was done back in ’67. And it has not been updated since then.”

McComis explained that the 1968-1990 plan was a good plan but that it needs to be updated. Some of the items that will be included in the comp plan are base planning and mapping, map and utility system, transportation systems, storm drainage, Parks and Rec facilities, zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations.

The commissioners also approved an agreement with the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce to utilize Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax Funds for community advertising and promotional programs and approved a request for the City to hire employees for codes enforcement and for seasonal mowing in the parks and cemetery.

The next Breckenridge City Commission meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5.

Daniel Hungerford, CPA with George, Morgan & Sneed, P.C., right, presents the annual audit report to the Breckenridge City Commission. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Breckenridge Mayor Bob Sims presents a proclamation declaring March as Texas History Month in Breckenridge to Barbara Thompson with the Picketville Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

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