Retired longtime Bridge City school teacher Bill Dixon was appointed as the Municipal Judge of Bridge City by the City Council Tuesday night. Dixon taught 33 years in the Bridge City school district, and currently serves as the public-address announcer at the high school baseball games. Dixon said, “I am very honored to be considered for this position. My good friend Jimmy Scales leaves some big shoes to fill. I hope to honor his service by being fair and just for the citizens of Bridge City.”
Scales served 21 years as the municipal judge and associate judge in Bridge City before he died in a tractor mower accident earlier this month. Mayor David Rutledge is excited about the selection of Bill Dixon as the city’s new municipal judge. “I think everybody knows him and his temperament, and his humor, and things like that. It’s a great fit for the judge’s position in the municipal court in our city. I think council made a very good choice,” Rutledge said.
Dixon will finish Scales’ unexpired term as the presiding judge of the Bridge City Municipal Court. The position is appointed and has a two-year term which began earlier this year. Ida Schossow, director of the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce, will continue to serve as the Associate Judge.
The City Council in Bridge City met in a closed executive session during Tuesday night’s meeting for more than thirty minutes to discuss the boundary dispute litigation with the City of Port Arthur. The discussion regarded the litigation settlement agreement and the agreed judgment for the case.
After the council returned to open session the members voted unanimously to approve a motion that was not verbally spoken. When asked what was the motion that was approved, Mayor Rutledge said he was not allowed to comment on it. City Attorney Paul Fukuda’s only comment was, “It’s not over until the judge says it’s over!” He indicated the case is still in litigation. As its final action for the meeting the City Council unanimously approved an ordinance affirming the boundary limits and adopting the boundary line for the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Bridge City.
The council earlier Tuesday night approved a health insurance plan for city employees. Insurance Agent Dale Etheridge studied several insurance plans for the city and said the city’s current provider was going up by 16 percent and the average was close to an 18 percent increase for insurance coverage. Etheridge recommended going to coverage from Blue Cross/Blue Shield which would only have about a seven percent increase in premiums. Etheridge added that the Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan is a PPO plan which is preferred over an HMO. The recommendation was unanimously approved by the City Council.
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