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While the weather may have shut down much of Baxter County this week, the ice is finally beginning to melt away as temperatures rise, which means that it’s time to get back to work.
To kick things off for the month, the Baxter County Quorum Court will be holding its regularly scheduled meeting next Tuesday. This month’s court session will most likely be a short one, with only a few ordinances and resolutions being taken up by the court.
The first ordinance of the night will cover appropriating fees and reimbursements for the month of December to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office.
In December, the Sheriff’s Office collected $5,382.42 from various fines and reimbursements, as well as an additional $4,940.38 in donations to the department. That money will then be appropriated for use with the Sheriff’s Office.
A total of $5,676.22 will be appropriated from the 2022 County General Fund to help the department with general supplies, fuel, meals and lodging. Another $1,336.05 will come from the 2022 County Jail Fund to cover transportation costs, medicine, drugs, dental, and hospital costs. The remaining $3,310.53 will come from the 2022 Sheriff’s Special Projects Fund and will be used for general supplies and computer services.
The court’s next ordinances will appropriate $1,092.82 in funds to help cover costs related to a $5,000 state stipend for three of the county’s full time law enforcement officers. While the state stipend pays out $5,000 to officers, it also requires $3,445.50 in matching costs of APERS for officers receiving that stipend. This ordinance will close that gap.
The ordinance also authorizes the IT Manager to make the following appropriations:
- $5,000 into the Law Enforcement Stipend
- $382.50 into Social Security
- $766 into Retirement
- $10,000 into Law Enforcement Stipend
- $765 into Social Security
- $1,532 into Retirement
The next ordinance of the night will cover appropriating $127,600 from the Road and Bridge Revenue Fund into the Road and Bridge 2023 Budget. The money will go towards machinery, equipment and tires.
The fourth ordinance of the evening will appropriate $29,7000 to purchase a new vehicle for the Baxter County Jail. Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery has been working for the past few months to purchase vehicles for the county jail. This ordinance is a continuation of that process.
The last items on the court’s agenda will cover two separate resolutions appointing Bruce Petray to the Cotter/Gassville Rural Fire Protection District Board of Commissioners and Peter Kauth, Terry Buchman and Eddie Danhauer to the Northeast Lakeside Fired Department Board of Commissioners.
The Baxter County Quorum Court will meet in the 2nd floor courtroom of the Baxter County Courthouse at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening.
