The Baxter County Quorum Court breezed through 10 items of business Tuesday evening in about 25 minutes. It was a meeting highlighted by positive reports from Sheriff John Montgomery regarding the county jail and Judge Mickey Pendergrass concerning a recently completed audit.
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Sheriff Montgomery told the court his department is now utilizing all beds in both the new addition and the original section. At full capacity, the Baxter County Detention Center is now equipped with beds for 160 prisoners.
Montgomery noted the remodeling of the original portion of the jail is nearing completion and the ongoing quarter-cent sales tax for maintenance and operation approved by voters in 2018 has generated sufficient revenue to cover about $50,000 in unexpected remodeling costs.
He concluded his remarks by thanking Judge Pendergrass and the court for having the faith to make the expansion and the ongoing revenue stream happen. He said everything is working as planned, including generating the $4.2 million construction cost of the expansion with a temporary one cent sales and use tax.
Judge Pendergrass called the court’s attention to what he termed an “extremely clean audit” just completed by Arkansas Legislative Audit. County Attorney David Ethredge echoed the significance of the county’s positive audit outcome.
In other business, with all members present and without comment, the quorum court gave its unanimous approval to a non-binding resolution regarding efforts to “guard against any encroachment on the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Arkansas Declaration of Rights, including but not limited to the right to ‘keep and bear arms.'”
The proposal is part of a national trend taking root in other states, with more than 100 cities and counties having passed some type of Second Amendment sanctuary resolution.
The gun-sanctuary movement has led to resolutions or ordinances being proposed or passed in Arkansas in Benton, Independence and Scott counties.
Authorization was given for the purchase of two nearly new dump trucks from carry-over revenue in the road and bridge fund. Cost of the two trucks is $264,000.
A resolution was approved confirming Judge Pendergrass’ appointment of Bruce Petry and re-appointment of Anita Knack to the Cotter-Gassville Rural Fire Protection District Board of Commissioners.
And the court gave its approval to a resolution confirming the appointment of Curtis Meinzer to the Norfork Fire Protection Board of Commissioners.
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