Hartley County

Hartley County Offices

Hartley County Town List

In 1876, Texas authorities carved out Hartley County from the districts of Bexar and Young. Also, in 1891, the leaders organized Hartley County to help provide its citizens with essential services. 

Hartley County covers an estimated area of 3789 square kilometers. The county seat remains in Channing, which, together with Hartley, are the primary cities in the County. 

The population of the County stands at 5576, according to statistics from the 2019 US censors. Texas authorities named Hartley County after two prominent pioneer lawyers and legislators called Oliver C.Hartley and his brother Rufus K. Hartley. 

The County’s physical features include the Panhandle High plains, sand and loam soil, drains leading to the tributaries that flow to the Canadian river. 

Hartley County’s History 

Before the 1870s, the Hartley County region belonged to a massive stretch of empty high plains in Texas and extended to Canada. Besides, the Apachean culture occupied the Panhandle plain area during the prehistoric years. 

In 1700, the modern Apaches appeared, but they couldn’t match the strength of the Comanches who chased them out of the region. 

Subsequently, the Comanches ruled the area until they lost in the Red River War of 1873-74. After the war, the victors drove the Comanches to the territories held by the Indians. 

In 1876, the Texas legislature established Hartley County from Bexar and Young Counties. Also, they named it for the two pioneer lawyer brothers called Oliver C.Hartley and Rufus K.Hartley. Afterwards, they picked Channing as the Hartley County seat. 

Hartley County Offices 

Hartley County consists of several offices that offer services to the citizens of the county. As a County Administration, Hartley County put in place the following offices and individuals who run them; 

Ronnie Gordon presides over as the County Judge of Hartley County in Texas. Citizens can reach him via phone by calling 806-235-3442. 

Judge Ronnie remains the senior-most official in the County, and he supervises the Commissioners Court that includes four other officials. 

David Vincent sits in the Commissioners Court as Precinct 1, and the citizens can reach him using phone:806-635-4466. David Spinhirne sits in the Commissioners Court as the Precinct 2 Officer, and residents can reach him using phone:806-333-4237. 

Chad Hicks sits in the Commissioners Court as the Precinct 3, and residents can reach him using phone:806-679-3263. Robert “Butch” Owen occupies the Commissioners Court as the Precinct 4 Officer, and citizens can use phone:806-884-9112. 

Robert Elliot occupies the office of the County Attorney in Hartley County, and residents may reach him using phone:806-235-2603. 

Dinkie Parman sits as the County Treasurer, and citizens can reach her using phone:806-235-3572. 

Melissa Mead occupies the office of the County Clerk, and residents can reach her using phone:806-235-3582. 

Chanze Fowler sits in as the County Tax Collector in Hartley County. Residents can reach him by phone at 806-244-2031. 

Franky Scott presides over as the County Sheriff, and residents can reach him by calling 806-244-5544. 

How Safe is Hartley County, Texas, From Violent Crimes? 

The violent crime rate in Hartley stands at 15:1, which remains lower than the US average of 22:1. Also, property crime records show that Hartley at 28.2 is safer than the US average of 35.4. 

US crime statistics indicate that 91% of cities in the County of Hartley are relatively safe, but 9% remain pretty dangerous places to stay. 

The violent crime rate remains at 68.97 per 1000 people in a typical year. Notably, the Southeastern regions of the County 1:25 are considered safer than the western parts at 1:12. 

The Weather in Hartley County 

The weather in Hartley County can be enjoyable in May, September, and October. These three months experience a comfortable range of temperatures of between 70-85 degrees celsius. 

The month of July turns out to be the hottest month in Hartley County, Texas. Also, the County typically experiences six months of significant snowfall, with December recording the highest at 3.8 inches. 

The summers remain quite comfortable for residents. However, residents tend to experience a few days in the summer when humidity becomes unpleasant. 

Education in Hartley County, Texas 

Education costs more in Hartley County than in many parts of the US. As such, parents in Hartley County spend an average of $12449 annually for their children’s education. It remains a higher expenditure than the annual average expenditure per student in the US at $12383. 

There are six public schools in Hartley County, namely; 

• The Channing School 
• The Dalhart Elementary School 
• The Dalhart High School 
• The Hartley School Dalhart 
• The Hartley School Hartley 

Hartley County rankings stand at 55 out of 254 public schools per capita and 212 out of 254 public schools per square mile. At the same time, the ratio of pupils to teachers remains 12:1. 

Hartley County, Texas Economy 

The economy of Hartley County performs well because of the following sectors; 

• Forestry 
• Fishing 
• Hunting 
• Retail Trade 
• Finance and Insurance  
• Health Care Services 
• Educational Services 
• Accommodation and Food Services 
• Farming 

Over the past year, the Hartley County job market increased by 1.4%. Besides, the county’s ten-year job market projection stands at 26.8%, while the average US projection for the same period remains at 33.5%. 

Furthermore, the annual average income of citizens living in Hartley County stands at $23563, which remains lower than the yearly US average at $28555. 

Financial Transparency at Hartley County, Texas 

The County government of Hartley values financial transparency in the handling of county finances. Therefore, the county publishes its adopted budget on its official website. Thus, citizens can peruse and download the county budget for interrogations. 

Additionally, Hartley provides budget letters, tax rates, and budget certification documents to public members. 

Hartley County publishes the annual Financial Reports and County Debt information to ensure citizens get all financial matters that the county government undertakes. 

How to Submit Public Information Request in Hartley County 

The Texas State laws allow the public access to most county government records of their interest. Citizens need to apply for access to this information in writing. They can send their information request using ordinary mail, fax, or in person at the county office. 

Also, a person applying for access to county records needs to include sufficient description and details of the information he needs. Thus, the County Public Information administrator will easily retrieve this information if residents know adequate information they request. 

Additionally, each elected official takes care of their departmental records. As such, they remain responsible for providing information from their departments as the designated Public Information Administrator.