In their meeting that was moved up a day from the original schedule due to the election, the Baxter County Quorum Court adopted its 2025 budget. Matt Sharp has the recap.
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Prior to voting on the budget during Monday’s 50-minute session, District 1 Justice of the Peace Dennis Frank questioned Sheriff John Montgomery on the reason he changed his pay scale for certified deputies and jailers. At first look, the proposed budget showed most of the sheriff’s employees will receive a 50-cent cost-of-living allowance (COLA) raise, but the deputies and jailers will receive an extra 25-cent raise on top of that. Sheriff Montgomery explained that pay scale on the budget is not for current employees. He said his office needs the extra COLA raise to hire new deputies and jailers, allowing the office to stay competitive in hiring and lessen the chance of losing potential employees to other agencies like the Mountain Home Police Department. Following Sheriff Montgomery’s explanation, the court unanimously passed the budget.
The sheriff addressed the quorum court for another proposed ordinance to appropriate $50,000 from the jail maintenance and operation fund to the jail maintenance and operation budget. He said the control board for the Baxter County Detention Center recently went out of commission, and they were only able to get it partially repaired. Montgomery says the cost for a new board is nearly $300,000. The $50,000 requested would allow the sheriff’s office to begin the installation on the purchase of a control board, and the remaining $250,000 are in the 2025 budget. The court unanimously approved the ordinance.
Other financial matters before the quorum court included its own pay. The proposed ordinance would have increased the justices’ compensation from $375 per meeting to $450, and committee meetings would have remained at $50 per meeting. Prior to their vote, the justices heard from a pair of citizens asking them to consider hardships others are experiencing when making their decision. The ordinance was rejected by a vote of 7-4.
Another proposed ordinance was to increase the Baxter County Planning Board members’ compensation from $45 per meeting to $100. The court approved the ordinance by a vote of 10-1.
There was one other proposed ordinance that did not have a unanimous vote. The court was asked by the Baxter County Historical and Geneological Society to set aside $100,000 to assist with renovations to the Casey House. The ordinance was approved by a vote of 9-2.
The remaining ordinances voted on by the justices of the peace were unanimously approved. They include the allowance of county employees to be paid by a direct deposit system, the appropriation of $7,353 in fees and reimbursements to the sheriff’s office budget, the appropriation of $18,552 from the road and bridge fund to the road and bridge department budget and the appropriation of $75,000 from the general fund to the 2025 budget for the coroner’s office. They also approved an ordinance, as required by law, to keep millage taxes on political subdivisions at the current rates.
One resolution was also uanimously approved by the court. Steven Couch was selected to join the Buford Volunteer Fire Department Board of Commissioners due to Ben Tate’s inability to complete his three-year term. Couch will complete the remainder of the term, set to expire in February 2027.
Prior to the meeting, another resolution was removed from the agenda. The court was scheduled to vote on the potential support for a lease and use agreement between the county and the Baxter County Airport Commission. Near the end of last month, the commission filed legal action against Baxter County and Judge Kevin Litty, claiming he has interfered with airport operations and potentially jeopardized federal funding. Judge Litty told KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot News the commission also filed an injunction preventing the quorum court from currently voting on the resolution, but he hopes to present it in a future session.
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