By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
St. Francis County Quorum Court members passed a budget for 2004 Tuesday, which should balance projected revenues and expenditures, but will not give county employees the 5 percent pay raise they were seeking.
A budget of over $6.2 million was adopted by justices with $3,384,707 in projected expenditures coming from the county's general account. According to Quorum Court Budget Committee chairman Henry Wilkinson, elected officials worked recently to balance the budget after problems were cited last month when the first budget proposal was submitted.
"The elected officials really worked on this over the past few weeks, and this budget does take care of some of the issues that were raised last month. This budget also includes an increase for the sheriff's office for the purchase of new vehicles and other increases. This budget is also based on the financing formula, switching back to the 60-40 split with county general getting 60 percent of the sales tax money and the road department getting 40 percent," Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson also addressed the issue of the pay raises for county employees.
"This budget does not include pay raises for the employees, but we didn't have completely accurate numbers for our final tax settlement, and we didn't include the funding from the hospital money into our revenues. I will personally revisit the issue of raises once we have the final settlement figures next year," Wilkinson said.
In other business, justices approved 13 dates for holidays for the 2004 calendar. According to St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco, employees requested to delete Columbus Day from the 2004 schedule in exchange for an off day on Jan. 2. By an 11-0 margin, justices approved the measure closing the courthouseon Thursday, Jan. 1 and Friday, Jan. 2 for New Year's Day; Monday, Jan. 19, for Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday; Monday, Feb. 16, President's Day; Friday, April 9, Good Friday; Monday, May 31, Memorial Day; Monday, July 5, Independence Day; Monday, Sept. 6, Labor Day; Thursday, Nov. 11, Veteran's Day; Thursday, Nov. 25, and Friday, Nov. 26, Thanksgiving; and Christmas, Thursday, Dec. 23, and Friday, Dec. 24.
Justices also approved an ordinance amending the appropriation of funds to the road department, the trust fund and the building and maintenance fund from revenues received from the one percent sales tax. According to the new ordinance, for the first six months of 2004, the first $13,000 in revenues will be paid to the county general account with the balance being split 60/40 for county general and the road department.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Facing a Jan. 1 deadline to correct a school system called unconstitutional by the Arkansas Supreme Court, Arkansas legislators may be working past Christmas, taking only Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and New Year's Day off.
That announcement was made Tuesday by legislative leaders.
"I tell you right now, it's pretty slow," said Rep. Danny Ferguson, D-Forrest City. "There has been very little progress made. We're halfway through the the second week. People are really talking about working the day after Christmas, the Saturday after Christmas. We're really up against the wall."
Ferguson said no proposal has cleared either chamber of the Legislature. He said one bill has cleared the Senate Education Committee (the governor's bill to consolidate school districts with enrollment below 500).
"There's a general feeling of frustration," Ferguson continued. "I think most people agree it was a serious mistake, waiting until Dec. 8 to call a special session. Usually on a subject like this, there's not much happening at first. A lot of research goes on."
Ferguson said he believes the complexity of the issue is only now dawning on some lawmakers. He also said that other than the emotional issue of consolidation, there is the problem of creating new standards, then raising money for whatever changes the Legislature votes. Then there is the school funding formula itself, which he said is not to be confused with the way revenue is raised.
"There were comments yesterday that probably there aren't 25 people in the state who understand the current funding formula," said Ferguson.
He said one proposed funding formula would give each school a set amount per pupil, and then add a second tier for such things as poverty and isolation. He said there are others.
"Right now there is a lot of focus on the funding formula and there are multiple plans floating right now," he said.
As far as tax increases go, Ferguson said the Revenue and Taxation Committee, on which he serves, has its hands tied until it is known how much money will have to be raised.
"It is pretty much the consensus of the Legislature that Revenue and Taxation is not going to address raising taxes until the Legislature passes an education bill and we know what kind of money we're going to need," he said.
Ferguson said different plans have different price tags on them.
"It's important that people realize that we are trying to comply with a court ruling that was backed up on appeal and backed up on appeal and then backed up again by the state Supreme Court," he said. "And every decision we make is going to affect thousands of lives in Arkansas.
"If you talk about leaving every school district intact and funding them, you're talking about a lot larger tax increase to do that. On the other side, if you talk consolidation, you're talking about closing schools and affecting thousands of kids and parents.
"You have to temper the emotional side with the cold, hard fact that you have to satisfy a Supreme Court mandate."
He said the lawmakers want to do it right, "or we might end up back in court and still trying to reform down the line."
According to the Associated Press, many legislators were uncertain Tuesday whether they could reach consensus on an education plan by New Year's Day, but their leaders said trying was essential.
''It seems a little disingenuous for us, with the deadline looming, to take off for the holidays,'' Senate president pro tem Jim Hill, D-Nashville, told colleagues. ''I don't think the public expects us to stop just because of the holidays and come back in January, after the deadline.''
House Speaker Herschel Cleveland, D-Paris, said the state could face court retribution if legislators did not work every day they had before the deadline.
But Cleveland said that even though Dec. 26 is a work day for state employees, he would understand if they could not make it back to the Capitol.
''If some of you have to be off for some reason, I think we'll understand and try to put the big votes on a day that you can be here,'' he said.
The AP quoted Bill Goodman, deputy director of the state Bureau of Legislative Research, as saying every day of the special session costs taxpayers about $50,000.
Legislators met in regular session from Jan. 14 through April 16, but failed to pass major education reforms after talks broke down largely because of rural opposition to Huckabee's plan to consolidate small school districts.
Throughout the summer, Huckabee threatened not to call a special session unless legislators reached a consensus on what to do.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The flu vaccine is getting harder and harder to find statewide, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
Ann Wright, communications director with ADH headquarters in Little Rock, said as with most counties in the state, St. Francis County is out of flu vaccine.
"Yes, it is my understanding that St. Francis County is out of the flu vaccine," said Wright. "It is that way all over the state. The last of what the state has is in Jefferson County for emergency use. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) just announced that in January they may have more, and that Arkansas could receive some of those vaccines, but for now, we are out.
"The CDC gave the state 150,000 vaccines for the flu season, and we have received 20,880 doses since then because of the outbreak," Wright said. "That is a total of 170,880 people who have received the vaccine statewide. We are hoping with that large amount of vaccinated people and the efforts of the private doctors around the state that we will have less flu by January so we won't need more vaccine."
Wright stated that those who have not received a vaccination should do "some detective work" to find them. "Call around to different counties and ask them if they have the vaccine. Another option is the flu mist. It is a nasal mist that is given to help prevent the flu. We (the state health department) don't have the mist, but some local physicians do. Call the doctors' offices in your area to see if they might have the mist available."
Wright also stated that the mist is for use on people between the ages of five and 49 who are in good health.
According to Wright, the key to avoiding the flu is common sense. "Do what you mother told you to do growing upwash you hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough and don't drink after someone who is sick. The flu spreads through drops of water from your mouth or nose through the air. If you are sick, stay home and go to the doctor. The doctor can prescribe some anti-viral drugs that if you take them within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of illness can lessen the severity of the illness."
The Forrest City City Council did not meet Tuesday night as scheduled, due to lack of a quorum.
Present were council members Louise Fields, Roger Breeding, Brent Ponder and Steve Hollowell. Absent were council members Cecil Twillie, John Gadberry, Mary Jeffers, Roy Hancock and Mayor Larry Bryant.
No decision had been made as of press time on calling a special meeting or waiting until the regular January date (first Tuesday) to meet again.
The council has until the first of February to adopt a budget
for 2004.
The St. Francis County C.A.R.E. Center will be closed for the Christmas holidays, from Dec. 15 through Jan. 4. The center will reopen on Jan. 5. In addition, it is requested that people not leave articles outside while the center is closed.