With a light agenda for Monday night’s quorum court meeting, justices of the peace had some extra time to listen to an update from Mercy Hospital. Carroll County owns the property where Mercy is located, and Mercy pays a token fee for a lease.
Administrator VonDa Moore reports periodically to the quorum court, and this report outlined an optimistic picture at the hospital. This critical-access facility has 25 acute-care beds. The Covid pandemic brought additional costs, but the federal government has provided additional funds to help offset those costs.
Moore explained changes in board members, and also listed the hospital’s services and specialties. The hospital absorbed $2,000,000 in charity costs last year for 800 patients, and Moore explained, “That’s part of our mission.”
Despite the large amount of charity work, the hospital still had revenues of $20 million last year, approximately $1.5 million over expenses.
In other business:
- Robert Anderson, owner of R & R Towing in Green Forest, returned to the public comments section of the agenda. During previous appearances, he complained that Carroll County Sheriff Jim Ross had suspended him on two occasions from the county’s tow rotation. Anderson complained that Ross was not following state regulations.
In response to a question, Anderson said he had contacted the Towing and Recovery Board, and was told that Ross had complete discretion over participation in the tow rotation. JPs had explained to Anderson during his previous visits that they have no authority over an elected official, and they reiterated that position.
- JPs voted to establish a fund to accept additional funds through the American Rescue Plan. The county will receive $50,000 this year, and the same amount next year. The additional funds come through a plan called the Local Assistance Tribal Consistency Fund, but County Clerk Connie Doss explained that was simply a name and had no influence over the use of the money.
- JPs also approved the transfer of $150,000 to the Courthouse Fund. In recent years, the quorum court has tried to build up a fund to pay for a new courthouse or repair the existing buildings. That fund now holds more than a million dollars.
- The budget committee will meet later this week, and committee members still expect to have a budget draft for the November meeting.
- JP John Howerton asked County Judge Ronda Griffin to reappoint the judicial building committee and set up appointments with architects to begin assessing the cost of a new facility.