The final quorum court meeting of 2025, held on Dec. 16, featured a series of resolutions and some year-end ordinances. The meeting ended with some praise for the county’s elected officials.
Justice of the Peace Craig Hicks, a member of the budget committee, called the elected officials and department heads “good stewards of tax dollars.” Hicks said the fiscal responsibility throughout the county gave the JPs the freedom to grant four percent raises to county employees. Detention officers and deputies at the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office received a flat raise of $1.25 per hour, which generally amounts to more than the raises for other county employees. Hicks said the raises will make wages for deputies and detention officers more competitive. The “good financial shape” of the county also allowed the creation of a new position at the CCSO.
County Judge David Writer agreed with Hicks. He mentioned a clean legislative audit, and he complimented the elected officials and JPs for creating a productive working relationship.
In other business:
- The JPs passed the second and third readings of an ordinance to establish a Central Dispatch Operating Fund to track the financial activity of the Central Dispatch infrastructure’s day-to-day operations.
- A resolution declared a vacancy in District 2, after the resignation of Bruce Wright. The governor will be asked to name a replacement.
- State law requires county sheriffs to designate successors in case they cannot discharge their duties in an emergency situation. Sheriff Daniel Klatt submitted his alternative chain of command, and the JPs formally adopted a resolution.
- A resolution confirmed the reappointment of Katie Zerr to the Eureka Springs Library Board.
- A resolution confirmed the appointments of Tonya Williams and Jennifer McCullough as board members of the Berryville Public Library Board of Trustees.
- A resolution confirmed the reappointment of Charisse Matzenbacher to the Green Forest Library Board.
- A resolution confirmed the appointment of Kevin Cackle as a member of the Carroll County Airport Commission.
- A resolution confirmed the appointment of Suzanne Villines and Owen Powell to the Mercy Hospital Board of Directors.
- An appropriation ordinance transferred $32,000 in grant funds reimbursed by the state for election security.
- An ordinance corrected some language in an ordinance from 2022. The revised ordinance clarifies the ability of Holiday Island to collect half the turn-back money received from the state for county roads.
- An ordinance approved and levied school tax millages on real and personal property for Eureka Springs and Green Forest schools for the coming year.
- The 2025 budget was amended to appropriate funds for renovations and equipment purchases in the offices of the tax collector and assessor.
- In response to a question about the retention of JP emails, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steven Simmons said he has requested an opinion on the subject from the office of the state’s attorney general.