A look back at 2022
Dec. 31—Herald-Banner staff report
Voters say no to GISD bond proposals
Twice the Greenville ISD went to referendum on bond packages to renovate schools, and twice voters rejected the proposals.
The district says it badly needs upgrades to L.P. Waters Early Childhood Center and Greenville Middle School to accommodate projected enrollment growth. Also, L.P. Waters fails to meet today's standards and codes in addition to having foundational trouble.
Voters throughout the district and the region, however, were not in a mood to fund more debt.
GISD had sought $169.4 million the first time around during a May election. That proposal was defeated 57% to 43%.
The district attempted another referendum as part of the General Election in November. The package was slimmed down to $136.5 million. This time the results were closer, but the referendum still failed 50.78% to 49.22%.
For now, GISD has a plan in place to utilize portable buildings to meet its needs.
Shaun Lucas found not guilty
A trial was held and a verdict finally rendered for the killing of 30-year-old Jonathan Price on Oct. 3, 2020 in Wolfe City.
A jury found former Wolfe City police Officer Shaun Lucas not guilty of murdering Price, who was unarmed when Lucas shot him four times in the chest following a minor disturbance at a convenience store.
Lucas's attorney, Robert Rogers, argued that Lucas had not murdered Price.
"On the night of Oct. 3, he was forced to make the split second decision that no officer wants to make," Rogers told jurors. "We have contended from day one that, although tragic, his decision was reasonable and justified under the law."
Hunt County District Attorney Noble D. Walker Jr. issued the following statement: "Our office, as well as local law enforcement, worked very hard to seek justice in this case for Jonathan Price and his family. We hope and believe Jonathan will continue to be remembered by all those who knew and loved him for the positive impact he had on the people of Wolfe City and beyond."
The Wolfe City ISD school board voted last fall to name the facility next to its football stadium as the Jonathan Price Fieldhouse.
Meanwhile, a federal wrongful death civil suit has been filed with The U.S. District Court in Dallas against Lucas and the city of Wolfe City. The complaint raises claims under the Texas Wrongful Death and Survivor statutes. The claims against the city of Wolfe City also allege violations of Price's Fourth Amendment rights.
Home prices go through the roof
Escalating property values stemming from a scorching hot real estate market brought massive growth in taxable value to cities, counties and school districts. With that came higher taxes for property owners across the whole of North Texas. In Hunt County, the median sales price for houses jumped by 29% over 2021. The volume of protests to the Central Appraisal District hit about 12,000, eclipsing the previous high number of about 9,000.
Not all, however, was doom and gloom for taxpayers.
Flush with new taxable value, the taxing entities in Greenville and Hunt County generally kept tax rates level or even lower. The city of Greenville expanded its homestead tax exemption for qualified homeowners. The county Commissioners Court allowed voters to approve a property tax freeze for seniors and disabled people, and the Hunt Memorial Hospital District expanded the homestead tax exemption for seniors.
The North Texas housing market, meanwhile continued to run hot in the first half of 2022 as demand outpaced supply. Many houses sold at full asking price within days of being listed.
The market, however, began to cool later in the year as higher mortgage rates took hold and buyer fatigue set in. Since its peak in June, prices have begun to decline to more normal levels.
No let up in North Texas growth
The stunning growth in North Texas continued in 2022, and Greenville and Hunt County were no different. Companies continue to develop large tracts in and around Greenville for residential and commercial use. The latest Census data places the city's population at 29,578, up from 25,682 10 years ago.
The demographics research firm Zonda Education identified 1,318 residential lots within the Greenville ISD that were in various stages of development. Among areas under development is about 325 acres in south Greenville known as The Greenbelt. Groundbreaking is expected in the spring on a years-long project that developers say will blend residential, commercial and entertainment elements with water features, green space and recreational amenities. The Greenbelt is expected to provide an estimated 1,200 units of single family homes and multifamily rental housing when totally built out.
As part of The Greenbelt project, a 300-unit apartment complex called The Freestone at Greenville will be built on 20-acres just southwest of Monty Stratton Parkway and Traders Road.
Drought grips the region
Hunt County experienced a summer and early fall of significant drought conditions and increased threats of grass fires.
Enough rain fell during the spring to keep the drought under control, but by the start of summer the county was listed under an extreme drought and eventually under "exceptional" drought conditions, the highest reading possible.
Despite being listed under a ban on outdoor burning by early July, multiple fires erupted most afternoons, usually requiring three or more fire departments to respond.
Enough rain fell in mid-to-late August that the drought conditions were alleviated and the burn ban was lifted right after the Labor Day holiday. But the drought conditions returned during the latter part of September, and the county was again reported under a "very high" threat of fire by the Texas A&M University Forest Service through early October, although the burn ban was not repeated.
Fortunately, ample precipitation returned to Hunt County, and by the end of 2022, no drought was reported anywhere in Hunt County or the surrounding region of North Texas.
HP Hood pumps brakes on dairy project
Massachusetts dairy company HP Hood received a round of tax exemptions from Hunt County, the city of Greenville and Hunt County to contract a state-of-the-art dairy plant just outside Greenville. In its application material, the company said it intends to construct a 350,000-square-foot dairy facility that would occupy separate buildings for labs, research and administrative offices; milk receiving and processing; product packaging; and warehousing, according to the application process extended shelf life dairy and plant-based beverages.
In its initial phase, the dairy would employ an estimated 225 people, and up to 400 in the future, according to a tax abatement application on file with the Comptroller's Office. Construction had been expected to commence during the second quarter of 2024 with operations to being in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to paperwork on file with the Comptroller's Office.
In July, however, Greg Sims, CEO of the Greenville Board of Development, said the company likely will not meet that timetable. The company, he said, was concerned about the potential for a downturn in the economy and has delayed its project in Greenville for three to five years. In a filing with the Comptroller's Office, Hood amended its Chapter 313 application and placed commencement of construction in the third quarter of 2026.
Chris Smith takes command of Greenville Police Department
Greenville Police Chief Chris Smith assumed command of the Greenville Police Department in June after former Chief Scott Smith announced his retirement in January.
Smith previous had served as the assistant chief deputy the for Dallas County Sheriff's Department. He began his career in law enforcement in 1989 as a detention officer and he had worked for the Dallas County Sheriff's Department for 33 years.
From roughly 50 applicants from across the country, the city's administration narrowed the list to five finalists. Among them was interim Police Chief Will Cole and Quinlan ISD Police Chief Steve Walden.
At his swearing in ceremony, Smith said: "It is truly an honor to be here and be a part of this great organization. It was a grueling process. They were determined to make the right choice."
Voters weigh in on school board, city council and commissioners court
The Greenville City Council, the Hunt County Commissioners Court, and the Greenville ISD school board staged elections in 2022, and seats on the city council and commissioners court changed hands.
In the school board election, District 1 incumbent Anne Haynes, a 23-year veteran of the board, won with 57 votes (70.37%) against challenger Cedric Dean, who received 24, or (29.63%). For District 3, incumbent Bonnie-Jean Stewart won with 361 votes (54.45%) against challengers Colleen McDonald's 157 votes (23.68%) and Gary Clint Sickles' 145 (21.87%).
The race for Hunt County Commissioner Precinct 2 featured incumbent Randy Strait against David H. McNabb Jr., David Monroe and Tod McMahan in the March primary. Strait and Monroe emerged as the top vote-getters and were pitted against each other in the GOP runoff election in May. Strait fell to Monroe 825-595, or 58.10% to 41.90%. No Democrat ran in November, and Monroe takes his seat on the Commissioners Court on Jan. 1.
After what looked like a routine contest, the City Council election in May took an unusual twist. Incumbent Councilman Terry Thomas handily defeated Paul Park in the District 1 race. and in the District 2 contest, incumbent Councilman Al Atkins was defeated by Byron Taylor 278-119, or 70.03%-27.97%.
However, Taylor, citing personal health reasons, resigned his seat only weeks after being elected. The city called a special election for September, and Atkins filed to run. On the final day of filing, candidate T.J. Goss entered the race. Days later, Atkins, citing a "dysfunctional environment" on the council, withdrew his candidacy, and Goss won election to the District 2 seat unopposed.
Winter Storm Landon hammers Hunt County
With 2021's catastrophic Winter Storm Uri still fresh on everyone's minds, Winter Storm Landon slammed Greenville and North Texas in late February.
Though not on a scale of Uri, Landon still managed to wreak havoc across the region, forcing cancellations of school and closing businesses and offices. At its peak, almost 9,000 Hunt County residences and businesses were without power as the storm coated trees with ice, causing limbs to fall over power lines. The other story was travel, which became treacherous after sheets of ice turned streets and roads into ice rinks. Multiple reports of black ice and pile-ups along Interstate 30, through Royse City and Rockwall mostly, were reported. Crashes also were reported on Highway 69 in Greenville, and an 18-wheeler was involved in a wreck on I-30 in Greenville near FM 1903.
Texas A&M Commerce goes Division I
Texas A&M University-Commerce became a member of the Southland Conference as it moved up from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I in July.
All 14 Lion varsity sports and individual athletes became eligible to compete for SLC championships.
Though no Lion team or any individual student-athlete is eligible to compete for NCAA Championships during a four-year transition process, select teams are eligible to compete in alternate postseason invitational tournaments, should they meet the qualifying standards.
A charter member of the Lone Star Conference, the Lions changed conferences for the first time since the formation of the then five-team Lone Star Conference in 1931. All four other teams in the original iteration of the LSC, now compete in Division I as well.
In their first season in the Southland Conference the Lions football team posted a 3-3 conference record and went 5-6 overall.
In November, it was announced that Lions head coach David Bailiff would not be returning to the team. In December, the school announced the hiring of Lion Athletics Hall of Famer Clint Dolezel as the 21st head coach in the history of the Lion football program.
