[Marlin Democrat] -- Council balances budget, avoids surcharge

Council balances budget, avoids surcharge

By Denise Schoppe
Staff Writer

The Marlin Democrat
September 29, 2004

With a round of applause, the Marlin City Council unanimously approved the 2005 city budget at the Sept. 21 special council meeting.

"I think on behalf of myself and everyone, we need to thank city manager Miles (Shaunfield) and council women Elizabeth Nelson and Paula Kluck for what they did for this budget," Mayor Norman Erskine said. "They spent a lot of time, a lot of their personal time, on it."

Nelson and Kluck discovered that more than $400,000 worth of expenses were counted twice,
which caused the budget to come in with a $180,000 deficit.

To compensate for the deficit, an additional surcharge was proposed to be added to residents water bills. Shaunfield was directed to meet with department heads to look for places in which expenses could be cut to help either avoid the surcharge or to atleast keep it as low as possible.

"All the department heads have done a good job," Erskine said. "This is the first time, that I know of, that everyone came in with a budget, and we had to ask them to go back and reevaluate and readjust. They did. It proves to us that we've got people out there working for the city who are doing us a good job."

The discovery of the mistake in the budget, however, is what finally made any surcharge no longer necessary.

The error lay in the fact that the sanitation department expenses were overstated by over $420,000 because it included road expenses which was already tallied in another location of the budget. The corrected error left the city with a $130,000 surplus in its 2005 budget, which will be used on expensive maintenance problems, should they occur.

In other action:

-- the council heard public opinion of the proposed tax increase of 4.28%.

-- unanimously approved a change in the Waste Management Contract that would cause a 2% increase to the franchise fee, which would raise the fee from 5% to 7%. The change would cause no increase charge to the citizens, it one only cause an increase in the amount that is returned to the city.

-- unanimously approved a contract with HGAC on purchasing electricity to avoid a TXU/SESCO rate increase as well as lowering the current rate by 11%.

-- unanimously approved adopting a burn ban ordinance for the City of Marlin.

[Marlin Democrat] -- Erskine to retire after 38 years at bank

Erskine to retire after 38 years at bank

By Denise Schoppe
Staff Writer

The Marlin Democrat
September 29, 2004

A familiar face at Citizen State Bank will soon be leaving.  After 38 years, Carolyn Erskine will be retiring on Sept. 30.

"I just looked at Norman one morning and told him I'd decided to retire," Erskine said. "I'd thought it over for several months and this is just a good time to do it."

Erskine started at the bank on October 3, 1966.  She was hired by Carol Myner and Marvin Leath.  On December 3 of the same year, she married Norman Erskine, Marlin's current mayor.

"I was working in Waco when Juanita Morris asked if I'd like to come to work here," Erskine said.  "It was definitely handy as I was driving back and forth from here to Waco.  It's nice to live five minutes from work."

In her time at the  bank, she's held many jobs.  She worked in bookkeeping, as a teller, in the loan area, in the proof area and in accounting.  She said accounting was one of her favorite jobs as she balanced the bank and did wire transfers, among other tasks.  She eventually moved back into teller work and in new accounts.

"It's amazing how banking has changed," Erskine said, "with computers, telebanking and internet."

Erskine said she will miss the people she works with and the customers.

"I have worked with wonderful people," she said.  "I get teary eyed when I say that.  I never thought about changing jobs.  We have wonderful customers, and I will miss them."

Erskine said she will now work as her husband's secretary.

The couple has two children. Russell lives in Dallas and works as a hydrologist/civil enginer.  Their other son, Neal, and his wife Vandi, live in Bryan and work as physical therapists.

Erskine attends the Methodist church where she is involved in choir and the handbells.  She is also a member of United Methodists Women.

On Friday, Sept. 24, the bank held a going away party for Erskine.  Friends and family came to wish her good luck, and customers stopped to say good bye.

"She is, I would say, the image of what a bank strives to portray in  the area is serves," Trey Allison, CEO of the Woodville branch of Citizens State Bank, said. "She knows the people.  She serves the people and looks good while doing it.

"We hate to see her go.  She is a very classy lady. We've been fortunate to have her."

[Marlin Democrat] Column -- Watch your back, and your bank account

Watch your back, and your bank account
Nise Note's
By Denise Schoppe

The Marlin Democrat
September 29, 2004

Mid-week last week, I began getting a strange call to my cell phone.  It was a toll free 800 number, and despite being curious I'd always just let the call go to voicemail. There was never a message, so I'd always just forget about the call moments after it came.

However, after this same number showed up on my phone multiple times I decided I'd answer and see what it was all about.

What I found was someone calling to confirm my address, because I'd been approved for a credit card.  They indeed had my name, my full address and obviously they had my phone number.  After saying that they were correct, I was transfered to another person who began confirming the same information.  I was definitely confused and weary of the whole situation.  When they began asking for my checking account information, I began asking questions back.

Who are you and why are you calling me?  I've not applied for any credit cards, and I would like to know how you got this information on me.

They gave a very canned response.  That is when I knew without a doubt their "excuse" for calling did not fit my situation.  As soon as I began to point that out, they hung up on me and I've not heard from them since.

They wanted my account information.  I'm sure they wanted to take what money they could from me.

Sadly this type of thing is more and more common today.  Identity theft is on the rise, and it can happen to anyone.  As the world gets more high tech, criminals get equally as high tech.

It was very disconcerting to find these people had my phone number and address, especially considering that I rarely give my cell phone number out.

I've been wearily watching my bank account, despite the fact that I stopped the conversation before they got any information from me.  I keep expecting to find one day that I have been wiped out of every penny.

As I conveyed this story to others, I found myself getting similar stories back.  It seems everyone has had a something like my situation happen.  The stories ranged from, "I received a check in the mail, cashed it and then found my telephone service had been changed." to "I received a letter in the mail that my savings and checking account had not only been frozen, but it had been wiped out."

What would have happened had I not grown suspicious and started asking questions?  I hesitate to even consider the possibilities.  Granted, they'd have not gotten much out of my accounts -- I tend to have my money spent before I get it -- but what about my credit cards?  How far would they have gone?

Be careful and ask questions.  Trust no one and nothing.  Read the fine print.  It could mean the difference between eating your next meal at home, and begging for food.