Nevada County Quorum Court approves sales tax special election in May
The Nevada County Quorum Court approved an ordinance to hold a 3/4 cent sales tax special election in its first regular meeting of the year in the courthouse late Tuesday evening, It also approved an ordinance setting times and dates for meetings and specifying those meetings will adhere to Robert’s Rules of Order. It tabled an ordinance to allow a county judge to decide to call for a work holiday without Quorum Court approval.

The meeting can be seen in its entirety below this story.

After the opening prayer and pledge, new members introduced themselves by name.  They are Justices of the Peace Tommy Poole (Republican, District 9), James Cornelius (Republican, District 4), Todd Butler (Republican, District 8) and Regina Irizarry (Republican, District 7).  They were sworn in on January 1.

Minutes for the previous meeting were approved.  During consideration of the financial report from Treasurer Lorelai Hale, JP Patricia Grimes asked how the Sheriff’s Department stood financially. Hale said the department had not received funds from the state of Arkansas for holding state prisoners yet for October through December. But “as of now we don’t have to transfer any more money [from other county budgets],” said Hale when asked whether the Sheriff’s Department could meet payroll.  

Grimes asked whether Hale had received word of when these funds were to arrive.  “No, but they brought me a $24 check today,” she said.  To which JP Dennis Pruitt responded, “Don’t spend it all in one place.”

Judge Otwell told Grimes the payments would be about 90 days behind in any case and that the state would hold back some inmates due to illness until the beginning of the year when more would be expected to be transferred to the Nevada County Jail.  

Hale reported that after having been bailed out by transfers from other county budgets, the solid waste department had already repaid the full amount.

Then a report was given by County Extension Agent Staff Chair Stacey Stone.  He said the Career Development Events competition would be February 14th at the Prescott Fairgrounds and Prescott School. About 1,000 kids from 55 counties came to last year’s.  Quiz Bowl competition is February 21st with practices ongoing.  A pig-rig trap set in the county caught 37 hogs.  Agent Sheila Ballard said she is working with area schools to set up simulations of financial decisions for students to take part in soon.

Then an ordinance was discussed and passed unanimously setting the date and time of meetings (second Tuesday of the month at 5:00 p.m.) and specifying use of Robert's Rules of Order. 

An ordinance was read and discussed to allow the County Judge to call for closings of departments without Quorum Court vote in case of weather emergencies. This was tabled by a unanimous vote to allow for public comment.  The text of the ordinance will be displayed in the courthouse.

Next, an ordinance to hold a special election to renew a 3/4 cent sales tax scheduled to stop being collected after October was read and discussed. JPs and Judge Mike Otwell spoke of the need for the tax for jail repair and maintenance, courthouse repair and maintenance and the county general fund. JPs advised that these needs should be communicated to the public. The motion to pass the ordinance succeeded with unanimous yes votes. 

Another vote was taken on whether to use the same language on the ballot as was used in the attempt to pass the tax in November. To change the language would cost $5,000. The court voted to retain the same language except for one no vote. The motion passed. 

JP Willie Wilson spoke of the need to adhere to Robert's Rules of Order as was included in the first ordinance passed in the meeting, observing that JP Herbert Coleman's concern about retaining the November language for a sales tax measure to be placed on the budget, expressed just before his no-vote, had been "suppressed." He asked if County Extension Agent Stone could provide JPs with an hour-long tutorial on Robert's Rules of Order. Stone expressed willingness and said it would be hard to fit into an hour but no decision was made on this proposal before adjournment.

After the meeting Judge Otwell expressed the hope that a 3/4 cent sales tax would no longer be necessary once more development occurs along I-30 that would increase the tax base.

An earlier version of this story mistakenly had the proposed sales tax as 3/8 cent per dollar. This story corrects that. The proposed tax is 3/4 cent per dollar.

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