wcjudge@cswnet.comQuorum Court to look at country tax structure |
i WebTech:: Chird Bobbitt wccomp@cswnet.com © White County 1997-2xxx All rights reserved |
wcjudge@cswnet.com
Staff Writer 02/12/2002
A sub-committee of the specially appointed tax structure committee met last week to discuss their ideas, formalizing them into a plan to present to the members of the White County Quorum Court.
No real decision was made at the meeting, other than to gather the plans into a formal presentation. They will be presented tonight at a special meeting and dinner for the members of the quorum court.
Late last year, White County Judge Bob Parish selected a committee to look into the budget constraints of the county general fund, which is losing several thousand dollars a year.
Two meetings have been held thus far with the tax structure committee. It has been determined that revenue shortfalls, budget increases and law enforcement expenses are wreaking havoc on the county general fund.
The state of Arkansas owes White County $165,000 for housing prisoners waiting to be transported to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Budget increases from additional costs in insurance and retirement are straining the county general fund, as well as the sheriff's department and the county detention center budgets.
In addition, White County has a low millage rate when compared to the other top 10 counties in Arkansas, with the White County rate at 1.9 mills.
At the tonight's meeting, the committee will present the pros and cons of the four options: 1) reallocating current sales tax 2) increasing sales tax 3) increasing current millage and 4) taking no action.
On Monday, February 4, the tax structure committee met and discussed the various options.
"Something's got to be done," said Bud Osborne, chairman of the budget committee. "We're okay this year but by the end of the year we'll be broke." The county is losing about $250,000 a year and has been operating on the reserves, he said.