By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
St. Francis County officials are looking for ways to increase the county's general fund due to continued financial problems.
A pair of options have resurfaced from earlier this year which might help the account, and justices are trying to find a way to prepare a budget for the next three months.
The first option, which involves bond money and back fines seized by the county that might be available to the general account, is moving closer to having action taken, according to Deputy Prosecutor Chris Morledge.
"Right now, we're between the sheriff's office and the county judge's office trying to figure out exactly who owes what. We're in the process of asking the courts to commit between 20 and 30 people on back fines, etc... On Oct. 16, Judge Yates (First Judicial District Judge Harvey Yates) wants all of those sent down to be handled that day," said Morledge.
Morledge is unsure of the amount included in the back fines, but said he felt like the average is between $250 and $500 per case.
The second boost to county general could come from accounts already established in two county departments.
New legislation this year allows for funds from accounts, which in the past have been earmarked for certain departments, to be added to the county's general fund but then used in the departments that they were destined for.
In St. Francis County, two such accounts would be affected by the change in legislation. One is in regards to funding for an automated records system for Circuit Clerk Bette Green's office, and the other account is for the purchase and upkeep of the communications system in St. Francis County Sheriff Dave Parkman's office.
According to St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco, neither account will help the general account immediately, but could give relief to certain county general accounts in next year's budget.
"Once Mrs. Green has automated her office, part of the money can go into county general to pay the expenses of that office. It can also go to subsidize the salary of the person who operates the equipment. About 75 percent of the money can go back into the account to help operate her office," said Cisco.
According to Green, the equipment has been ordered and is expected to be installed next month. Green also said that the funds in question won't be income for the county but are funds that have been drawing interest in a certificate of deposit.
"This won't be new money for the county. We've had this money in a CD for awhile, but before I used it, I wanted to see how the program would work in other counties and not use my office as a guinea pig. All of the kinks have been worked out of the program, and now is the time to make this purchase," said Green.
According to Act 768 of the Arkansas Constitution passed in 1995, the funds, as well as all fees collected for recording deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, release deeds, powers of attorney and other recordable instruments, were to be placed into the county treasury to be appropriated and expended by the quorum court at the direction of the county recorder.
Cisco also said that funds in several of the county's accounts, such as the communication account, could be used in a broader spectrum.
"New legislation will now allow us to buy a lot more out of the communication account, which we used to call the radio account because we could only buy radios out of the funding. We can now buy anything dealing with communications out of that account now. There are a lot of accounts which once you could only do one or two things with that have now been broadened," said Cisco.
According to Parkman, although the funding is available, he would not want to see the account emptied due to unnecessary spending.
"Even though the account is in the general account, I'm still in control of it, and although the county needs help right now I wouldn't want to see this account depleted. In cases of emergency, of course, we should use the money. I will allow the funds to be used conservatively because the county needs help, but we can't just spend this money because when we need it, it won't be there," said Parkman.
County officials will decide on the budget for the next three months at a called meeting next Thursday at 7 p.m.
By CRYSTAL HOLLIS
T-H Staff Writer
The St. Francis County Museum board is reviewing fundraising options that would allow the facility to continue its support of projects and promotions.
Museum Director Laura Mazzanti told board members Tuesday evening that they may have to consider charging admission to the facility.
"If we did charge admission, it would not be for operating costs. We would still get that from the county. It would be for our programs which are not included at all in this proposed budget," Mazzanti said, referring to a budget proposal that will be presented for approval at the October SFC Quorum Court meeting.
The proposed budget of $60,545 shows a 10 percent decrease from last year's approved budget, and is "skimmed to the bare bone," according to Mazzanti. "There is no fluff in this proposal at all. This is the bare bone, and it has no room in it for projects."
Last year, a proposal of $84,554 was submitted to the budget committee, and was later skimmed down to $65,389 for approval.
Board member Craig Jones said he would like to head a fundraising subcommittee to try and raise funds another way, instead of having patrons donate money each year. "I think we need to re-think our approach to fundraising," he said. "We need to have people support the museum with smaller donations rather than the larger ones. Then, more people can commit to supporting the museum," said Jones.
In the past, patrons pledged support to the facility with certain amounts of money per year for a certain amount of years. Mazzanti said only two patrons are left who have pledged funding support.
Jones and four other board members will meet Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 5 p.m., at the museum to discuss the matter further.
A man sitting on his front porch was shot in the leg Wednesday.
Forrest City Police Department officials said the shooting is believed to have been the result of an argument that started Tuesday between Quincey Lee, 27, 488 S. Sharp St., and DeQuan Upchurch, 25, of Palestine.
According to the police report, Lee was sitting on his porch about 9:30 a.m. with several friends when the shooting occurred. Police reported Upchurch drove to Lee's residence about 9:30 a.m., got out of his car and fired a shot at Lee who had stood up to run into the house.
Lee was struck once in the leg.
Lee was taken by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where he was treated and later transferred by helicopter to the Med Center in Memphis. A Med spokesperson said he is listed in satisfactory condition today.
Upchurch was arrested a short time after the shooting near the West Broadway and Gorman streets intersection. He is charged with first-degree battery and felon in possession of a firearm. He appeared in St. Francis County District Court Wednesday afternoon. Because he was serving a suspended sentence, a bond was not set for Upchurch Wednesday, according to a police department official.
A second suspect was also arrested when police stopped Upchurch's car.
Tyree Tyrone Upchurch Jr., 20, of Michigan, was arrested for carrying a weapon.
A $200,000 grant for a feasibility study on a proposed transportation mall on Interstate 40 has been received by St. Francis County and the Delta Center for Economic Development.
The announcement was made by the office of U.S. Congressman Marion Berry. The money will come from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
"The study will include a detailed traffic analysis of I-40, behavioral and spending profiles of average travelers, interviews with trade associations and transportation department officials and the use of public data information sources," the announcement said.
If fully realized, the mall would cover about 120 acres. It would include motel and restaurant facilities. It is estimated that the mall would employee 500 to 700 people.
County Judge Carl Cisco recently reported that he had received support for the mall not only from Berry, but from U.S. Senators Tim Hutchinson and Blanche Lincoln. The entire cost of the project has been put at about $25 million.
People trying to reach the Forrest City Health Unit office by e-mail will be unsuccessful today -- the unit has been hit by the latest of the computer viruses.
"This one apparently attached itself to e-mail and was from individuals that you know," said Bonnie Dodson, administrator of the office. "Obviously, you don't recognize it as being unknown or unfriendly, so now we're just going through the normal process everyone does -- getting our virus scans updated. We've become extremely dependent on the Internet, so this is a high priority."
A Forrest City man was sentenced to prison this week on drug charges.
George Wayne Like, 50, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for possession of a controlled substance.