A proposed appropriation ordinance that would transfer $40,000 from a U.S. Department of Justice grant fund to construction of the new Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was recommended for approval by committees of the Quorum Court Tuesday night, but not without some questions.
The proposed ordinance was not included in the packet of proposed legislation sent to members of the county’s legislative body last week, and was drafted only after a request from Major Lafayette Woods Jr., operations commander of the sheriff’s department.
A communication from Woods to the county judge’s office dated Tuesday said the Department of Justice’s Equitable Sharing Program for state and local law enforcement agencies allows the department to use grant money for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to the acquisition/renovation of physical space for department personnel.
Woods asked that an ordinance be prepared to cover the grant fund transfer into the construction budget for the new building.
Several members of the Quorum Court, including Justices of the Peace Ted Harden and Dr. Conley Byrd Jr., questioned the ordinance, since they had no prior knowledge of it, and Harden specifically asked if money from that grant had ever been used before.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Daniel Marks, the legislative assistant for County Judge Dutch King, said titles for a number of federal grants had changed recently, which could account for the fact that county legislators were not familiar with it.
Marks also said County Treasurer Elizabeth Rinchuso had cleared the proposal, a statement that made Justices of the Peace Lloyd Franklin II and Delton Wright more comfortable.
“If Liz says it’s OK, I’m comfortable with it,” Wright said.
Also Monday, proposed appropriation ordinances that will allow the county to borrow money to finance the purchase of used dump trucks for the road department and a chiller unit for the air conditioner at the courthouse were recommended for approval.
In the case of the chiller, the county will borrow $215,105 from Relyance Bank, and repay that loan in 60 monthly installments of $3,830.64 from the general fund. The loan for the dump trucks, also from Relyance Bank, will be $81,103 and will be repaid in three annual installments of $28,157.46. Those funds will also come from the general fund.
Also recommended for approval was a proposed appropriation ordinance for $20,000 to pay attorney Burt Newell to represent the county in the case of J.Y. Williams and the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System.
County Judge Dutch King said Newell has billed the county just over $6,000 so far for his work in trying to stop the retirement system from taking money from he county to cover benefits and interest for Williams, who county officials contend was never a county employee.