By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The St. Francis County Election Commission found no reason Tuesday to overturn the outcome of an alderman's race in Forrest City.
The defeated incumbent, Glenn Ford, had requested that the commission investigate whether all the absentee ballots cast in his losing race against Louise Fields were legal. The commission met and checked off all the absentee ballots cast in Ward 2 against the voter list.
Fields defeated Ford, 462-377 for the Ward 2, Position 2 seat. She carried the absentee votes by a margin of 108-19. In his letter to the election commission, Ford said that Fields' margin in the absentee balloting "defies logic."
Fields was present Tuesday at the commission meeting. Ford was not.
The commission, aided by Ed Chauvin, looked at 122 applications submitted for Ward 2 and compared them to the master list of voters. They compared all signatures and addresses of both the list and applications.
After an initial count, the commission found 14 applications that they deemed should be looked at more closely.
Chairman Joe Young stated after the count, "We have 108 that are correct. If anyone was committing fraud there would be more applications that we needed to look at more closely. The amount we are going to look at again won't change the outcome of the election."
After reviewing the 14 applications in question, the commission accepted all of them.
"We have concluded that all 14 are acceptable. I believe everything is on the up and up and the reason the numbers were off was because Mrs. Fields did a lot of hard work," said Young.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A one mill road tax, which was removed from county tax books three years ago, was again levied Tuesday night during the monthly meeting of the St. Francis County Quorum Court.
By a unanimous vote, justices agreed to levy the taxes for 2003, which include the addition of the one mill road tax. According to St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco, the move to place the tax back on the books is due to the decrease in state funding that the county suffered this year, and an anticipated decrease in revenues for next year.
"When I came in, one of the first things I tried to do was have the one mill tax taken off. I told justices that I would work without it for as long as I could, and that's what we've done, but now, with the state cutting their funding and the increased need for good roads in our county, it's necessary to put the tax back on," Cisco said.
According to Cisco, the primary use of the tax will be to cover costs of asphalt and to match funding for paving on county roads.
"We have some matching grants through the state that provide for roads to be paved, and that's what we're going to use the money for. It will also go toward any repairs and upkeep that have to be made to the 55 miles of paved roads that we have in the county," he said.
According to St. Francis County Assessor Craig Jones, the additional tax cost -- $20 on a $100,000 home and $10 on a $50,000 home -- will hit everyone in the county, including those 65 or older whose taxes were frozen under amendment 79.
"With this addition, everyone will see some increase. Amendment 79 froze the assessed value of property, but didn't freeze the multiplier by which taxes are assessed. With the increase in the road millage, that means that even those covered under the tax freeze will feel the tax increase," Jones said.
Jones also commented that some in the county would see the tax increase offset by the $300 homestead tax credit.
In other business, justices agreed to a budget for 2003 which projects a $393,577.92 surplus for the end of 2003. Justice Regan Hill cautioned justices that although they were voting to pass the budget for 2003, the county plans to continue amending the budget throughout the year when funding is available.
"I just want to make sure that everyone understands that this budget is going to see some changes, and just because we appropriate this amount tonight doesn't mean that this is what will be spent. We will be right back here next month working with the revenue that we have in so that we can appropriate funding for the first two months of 2003, just like we did at this time last year," Hill said.
According to the budget, the county is anticipating revenues of $7,923,884.50 for 2003, against appropriations of $7,530,306.58.
Justices also passed an ordinance last night which will pay fulltime county employees a $500 incentive bonus next month. By an 11-0 vote, justices agreed to appropriate $49,249.78, for incentive pay. The funding will also pay elected officials a $250 bonus and parttime employees a $250 bonus.
The court also agreed to add two members to the county's transportation committee, with one of the members representing the Forrest City Airport Commission. Justices also agreed to appropriate funding to the assessor's office for reappraisal; the county clerk's office for computer upgrades and networking and the county treasurer's office for computer upgrades and networking.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The full Forrest City Council got its first look Tuesday night at a full proposed budget for 2003, which anticipates total revenue of $8.7 million and expenditures of $8.3 million.
The new budget includes a 3 percent across the board raise for city employees. This caused a discussion when District Judge Steve Routon spoke on behalf of court employees.
Routon said that the employees are technically city employees. At the same time, half of their salaries are paid by the county, which he said has already told him it will not pay half of the 3 percent increase.
Several of the council members were against giving the full increase from the city's end, since the county was supposed to pay half the salary. However, after some discussion, the city agreed to fund the entire 3 percent raise for the court employees, and try to collect from the county.
The budget also allows for the hiring of one secretary to serve the Code Enforcement and Pest Control offices.
Chester Crossen, the Code Enforcement Officer, also appeared before the council and requested an increase in salary.
Some of the expenditures in the proposed budget include $599,928 for administration; $22,150 for city hall; $46,727 for city attorney expenses; $132,064.29 for the City Clerk's office; $272,292.84 for Municipal Court; $31,126.34 for landfill expenses; $153,539.53 for pest control; $877,397.26 for the Fire Department; $2,671,927.72 for the Police Department; $50,615 for the code enforcement officer; $78,993 for the city shop; $454,074.67 for parks and recreation; $39,000 for the airport; $70,892.84 for animal control; $133,002.66 for the Civic Center; $1,100,195 for solid waste; $1,158,663 for the Street Department; $160,883 for the library; and $262,500 for Advertising and Promotions.
The proposed expenditures come to $474,803 less than the expected revenues. Mayor Larry Bryant said there were some $2.4 million in discretionary items, among which the council could choose.
The discretionary items include a new fire truck, three police cars, remodeling of South Side Pool, a tractor for Parks and Recreation, a new truck for the animal shelter, a new animal shelter, a civic center sign, a pickup for solid waste a street sweeper and a multi-purpose center.
Bryant told the council that if the multi purpose center, at $1.6 million were taken out of the equation, it would leave $870,629 in discretionary items. According to Bryant, if the council decided it wanted all the discretionary items minus the multipurpose center, the city could add surplus funds to the amount remaining unspent in the proposed budget and get all the items. No action was taken Tuesday.
Alderman Cecil Twillie said he had a "wish list" of his own. He proposed several things, the main thing being a committee to oversee expansion of the parks, particularly the Forrest City Sports Complex, where new land was recently purchased. The committee's job would be to draw up a master plan for future development of the land. The city council would have final word.
The council agreed, and it was decided that the committee would consist of the parks director, two people appointed by Bryant, and one person from each ward, appointed by the aldermen in each ward, for a total of seven.
Twillie also mentioned a pavilion for Lake Street Park, and said a pavilion at South Side Park needs to be moved, as well as improvements made to the backstops. Bryant said the Lake Street Park pavilion was already figured into the budget.
The final budget, with changes, is expected to be voted on in the next meeting.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The Palestine-Wheatley School Board meet in a brief, regularly scheduled meeting on Monday night to discuss an increase in earthquake insurance and the promotions of two employees.
Superintendent Jimmy Allen told board members the earthquake insurance policy the district currently has will see a substantial increase in premiums.
"I'd like the board to consider removing the earthquake insurance," said Allen. "The previous year's amount for the coverage was about $1,200 or $1,400. That amount has increased to $8,500. The insurance company says that the increase is due to the events of 9/11."
Despite Allen's suggestion, the board voted to keep the insurance as a preventive measure.
Allen presented another insurance topic to the members concerning coverage for school employees conducting school business.
"The new policy covers accidental death or dismemberment for all school employees. For instance, if a teacher is on a field trip and has an accident, he or she would be covered. This policy does not cover students," added Allen.
The board unanimously voted to add the coverage to the district's policy.
Allen then suggested two promotions. The board voted to promote Geraldine Hancock, an assistant cook at Palestine-Wheatley Middle School, to head cook at the school and promote Lee Thomas, a janitor, to the maintenance department at the elementary and high schools. Two more personnel matters will be discussed at the next meeting, set for Dec. 9, according to Allen.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A local criminal who liked to brag about his crimes was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday on seven counts of aggravated robbery.
Jermaine Johnson, 27, 1947 Williams St., Forrest City, was sentenced to 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections on each robbery count. The sentences are set to run concurrently.
Johnson, who sometimes chose disguises to commit robberies at six Forrest City businesses, including one bank, pled guilty to the charges on Tuesday during circuit court proceedings at the St. Francis County Courthouse.
Johnson was arrested in April for an attempted armed robbery at the main office of the First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas at the corner of Washington and Broadway in Forrest City.
Johnson hitched a ride to the bank with a friend, and before exiting the vehicle changed his clothes to women's apparel, complete with a wig, handbag, dress and sandals, before entering the bank on Oct. 18, 2001, according to reports on file at the St. Francis County Courthouse. Once inside the bank, he approached a cashier, pointed a gun at her and demanded money. After the teller told him she did not have any money, the suspect fled the bank on foot.
Another of Johnson's charges stem from the kidnapping and aggravated robbery of two elderly men in Hughes on April 12. Johnson is accused of carjacking a vehicle occupied by Sammy Wilson and Bob McKenzie at a business in Hughes and forcing them to drive about five miles outside of town where he took their wallets and vehicle. He was arrested after attempting to use a credit card belonging to Wilson at a Forrest City business.
Johnson was also sentenced for a carjacking in Forrest City on April 2 during which he fired two shots through the ceiling of the car he stole.
On April 16, police say Johnson, disguising his face with a cap and scarf, robbed the Bonds Handy Foods location at 1333 W. Broadway at gunpoint. Other aggravated robberies for which Johnson was sentenced include a robbery at the Broadway Twin Cinema on March 20, a robbery at Day's Inn on Oct. 3, 2001, a robbery on Feb. 7 at Pizza for Less and an April 8 robbery at Ho Ho's restaurant.
Court records reveal Johnson previously served time in state prison on drug-related convictions.