[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6584708,"mediaKeyId","5666386-9974c3a4d85e6c39ab93023172ad134f","parentId",5666386,"title","Van Buren County quorum court approves six ordinances; 9-1-1 transfer amended to $60,000","audioSeconds",1785,"startMs",4005560,"endMs",5790795,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5666386-9974c3a4d85e6c39ab93023172ad134f&start=4005&end=5790","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5666386-9974c3a4d85e6c39ab93023172ad134f/thumbnail_4005560.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6584708/Van-Buren-County/Arkansas/Van-Buren-County-quorum-court-approves-six-ordinances-9-1-1-transfer-amended-to-60000","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584708-ad1f7d45b4b8523db0a478042bc01f33/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843314&Signature=AQHLz03Wk4QFlJ2gN0~F9rQUOHA3xG-1fMyAqse6-rllI6UylpT0uoCzHSrWON9o35LK9fcMFiTCB~WiNH4d4WygstvU0JsCV8JL-Q3UvSMX53i6kx68WTd7bCTNhUrxd38qOgpd2uj~VX3dxf9eL~il17kbRU1aSmH3prOZjPF3KCzmKKCpaZolTpq-0wGuOl0nEWQJXP2frHPv8opmqyH~2rK0vErizInKtAHhv2MLrNGS8IKtqXlDqBkOQeGSpZwgE8lMnsHvnzPtqRNpzSSHDTEscXo27jYMmnNtkRUkP-S6MDtQNJAUPyb9LJQL0qm~kTuFZQTqn6B8IGdpSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Van Buren County, AR","date","2025-08-23T23:27:09.937Z","article","The Van Buren County Quorum Court adopted six ordinances during a single meeting. Most passed on roll-call votes with no recorded opposition. Below are the items, the outcomes and brief notes on funding sources.

Votes at a glance

1) O2025-27 — Appropriation to Van Buren County Circuit Court Division 1: The court appropriated $576.28 (grant funds) to purchase a portable breathalyzer and a handheld metal detector (motion passed on roll call). The ordinance was sponsored by Justice Nikki Brown.

2) O2025-28 — School Resource Officer (SRO) contract/appropriation: The court appropriated $9,423.82 into the SRO budget to cover school-board-approved raises for SRO positions in Shirley and Southside B branch school contracts. The schools pay the SROs under contract; the county must appropriate the funds to reflect payroll. Motion passed on roll call; sponsor listed as Becky Page.

3) O2025-29 — Transfer/appropriation to 9-1-1 system fund: The court considered a proposed $180,000 transfer into the county 9-1-1 system fund. After discussion the ordinance was amended on the floor to $60,000 and the amended ordinance passed by roll call. The court directed staff and the budget committee to prepare a fuller analysis of 9-1-1 and road-fund finances.

4) O2025-30 — AAC auto equipment insurance appropriation: The court appropriated $4,464.11 to increase projected revenue and pay additional Association of Arkansas Counties (AAC) auto insurance charges; $2,079.45 was appropriated for sheriff's office fleet liability and $2,384.66 for the county fairgrounds insurance (the fairgrounds will reimburse the county). Motion passed on roll call.

5) O2025-31 — Transfer to correct county-judge payroll distribution: The court transferred $2,111.88 from County Road personal service accounts to the County Judge budget to correct an erroneous payroll posting; the ordinance passed on roll call.

6) O2025-32 — Emergency ordinance recognizing Ozark Health Inc. as senior-citizens program contract administrator: Because the county has contracted senior-services delivery to Ozark Health (under oversight from the White River Area Agency on Aging), the court adopted an emergency ordinance to clarify accounting and allow immediate payments to the contracted provider. Motion passed on roll call and the ordinance contains an emergency clause to take effect immediately.

Ending: All six ordinances passed by roll call with no recorded votes opposed in the meeting record. The most contested item was the 9-1-1 transfer, which was reduced from its original $180,000 request to a $60,000 interim transfer while further budget review is planned.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Van Buren County Quorum Court - August 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Van Buren County Quorum Court approved six ordinances, including grant-funded purchases for the circuit court, SRO pay adjustments, a reduced $60,000 interim transfer to 9-1-1, and an emergency recognition of Ozark Health as the senior program administrator.","taxTitle","Van Buren County, Arkansas","taxId",15527,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6584712,"Prosecutor warns Van Buren County of imminent loss of victim-witness coordinator after federal grant cut",569,2711035,3280550,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5666386-9974c3a4d85e6c39ab93023172ad134f&start=2711&end=3280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5666386-9974c3a4d85e6c39ab93023172ad134f/thumbnail_2711035.jpg","/articles/6584712/Van-Buren-County/Arkansas/Prosecutor-warns-Van-Buren-County-of-imminent-loss-of-victim-witness-coordinator-after-federal-grant-cut","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584712-cc112408e57ae92db6579ed264ccd3d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843314&Signature=K-FpCd4PUer-jF~ARsjOZIRv6lqH4IZPEar7ApjLXf~4-ay2CnmyHGSm4cvmSEpcThHDb02QpA8CcG6vC3ggWtJisi0Et0klul30DexsNdaw1y8esFxV9NLJfH5ndHOW1kF3Y-NzuYl9tiHwUmhwP0lsAgsGet6vGhimcrRREDQNHamRXSyoCquWigxVy9vPFxd0QR4S7YR~Zrnxi~ElSM-t6GI-NllfTikpR67PMmWyYmqalnsjb9UZAa6msE6~x5VyYCAkpbjYPdkieIN28BETvXOkGQ2uV2LPv2CBUZ0NqNsDCmIHhA0du-dfyi0uxtSRNjwm5nzon3E0AaXLMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Prosecuting Attorney Chad Brown told the Van Buren County Quorum Court that federal/state grant funding for the county's victim-witness coordinator position has been cut and that the county likely will lose local access to a coordinator unless alternative funding is found.

Brown said the position, filled locally by Penny Stringer (who provides victim and witness services for Van Buren and Searcy counties), had been funded historically through VOCA and related grants and that he had been notified the grant award supporting the position would be reduced to zero effective Sept. 30. \"We were imminently about to lose the services of Penny, and she's just not gonna be able to be with us,\" Brown said.

Nut graf: Brown told the court the grant application pool at the state level requested $21 million and was awarded only $6 million; as a result, Van Buren’s share is zero in this cycle. He said Stringer’s salary is roughly $42,000–$43,000 and that her duties include notification of victims about case status, court hearings and available services. Brown said the office is exploring short-term options and may return with proposals to the court for how to preserve the role.

Brown described the coordinator’s functions as more than administrative: the coordinator is often the primary contact for victims of violent crime and coordinates between prosecutors, courts and service providers. Brown said the loss would be felt especially in serious violent cases and for victims who have been working with the coordinator for months leading up to trial.

Ending: Brown said staff will explore alternatives — including using victim-witness fund balances, seeking other grants or local funding — and return with ideas to the court at a future meeting. He cautioned that an immediate stop in the position’s services could disrupt upcoming trial schedules and victims’ ability to prepare for court.

","Prosecuting Attorney Chad Brown told the quorum court that a federal/state Victim-Witness grant that paid for a shared coordinator will not continue for Van Buren County; the coordinator's position has been funded by a VOCA grant and the program award dropped to zero effective Sept. 30, threatening services for victims.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6584717,"Van Buren County judge warns of long-term road-funding squeeze; court approves $60,000 emergency support for 911",4233,129185,4362475,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5666386-9974c3a4d85e6c39ab93023172ad134f&start=129&end=4362","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5666386-9974c3a4d85e6c39ab93023172ad134f/thumbnail_129185.jpg","/articles/6584717/Van-Buren-County/Arkansas/Van-Buren-County-judge-warns-of-long-term-road-funding-squeeze-court-approves-60000-emergency-support-for-911","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584717-1993a81260382af9d6da522897628b0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770843314&Signature=ZGuZjPcCUNy1frSW68Yfj9ofC5sZhC3wI7mg2nylYD8J1pPKokrfhEQQKnIND4MC31C5Wh3AD7~zDQXHyKQPcXoM0-jNIuHZkdALJCwkPS52TnR1WJnnawv2VMz0ri3DyLGvP3bUd9ZuX6BEpP6mJxmdNPY-9yP~dyB1jJyE6A6dP4Kts5rzE32yqIZ1ARW0Mv3GAjWGzoVs19Tq3fiMx-3Fyz-D6oG88F4-Jq6jHpqaVuOGuDIq7sVgxsfQ1D-lMGuWMJycSlTMHCSbdI9VW-mH9zsqUuL6QqGAy~GnQ3sOSAw2GF2ogU9Qhyw5Qj0laNAErqF4ISRu4W1eG~czDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Judge Dale Lynch told the Van Buren County Quorum Court that long-term declines in revenue tied to natural gas and oil production have forced cuts to the road department and left the county with difficult choices about whether to supplement other functions.

Lynch said the county has reduced the road department staff and spending to match lower road-fund receipts. \"The squeeze is on, and it's a tight squeeze,\" he said, summarizing recent budget moves and explaining why the county has cut nine full-time road department positions and converted two employees to part-time hours.

Nut graf: The court debated a proposed $180,000 transfer from county general to the 9-1-1 fund after the road fund signaled it could not continue covering dispatch costs. After extended discussion on reserves and competing priorities, the court amended the appropriation to $60,000 and approved the amendment, saying the smaller sum is intended to keep dispatch functioning while the budget committee and staff produce a fuller plan.

Lynch gave a historical overview of local sales and use taxes and county millage changes dating to the 1990s to explain the current revenue picture. He told the court that county road inflows (excluding one-time grant spikes) were roughly $3.7 million in 2022, $3.1 million in 2023 and about $2.8 million in 2024, and he projected about $2.5 million for the current year; he noted the last time revenues were at that level was 2009. Lynch said the county paid more than $70,000 last year on cold patch alone and that major equipment prices and wages have risen substantially since 2009.

Court members pressed for additional detail and recommended routing a fuller response through the budget committee before making a larger, permanent commitment. Multiple justices said they were willing to fund a short-term stopgap to avoid service interruptions but asked for a targeted review. One justice noted the county general fund has been subsidizing many items in recent years and said new, larger subsidies should be vetted.

After discussion, the court considered an appropriation ordinance to move $180,000 into the county 9-1-1 system fund (ordinance O2025-29). Justice members moved to amend the ordinance to $60,000 to fund roughly one month of operations while staff and the budget committee examine alternatives; the amendment passed and then the amended ordinance was approved by roll call.

Ending: County leadership said they will bring more detailed budget and fund-balance information to the budget committee for review. The $60,000 transfer was passed as an interim measure; the court signaled it will revisit 9-1-1 funding and road-fund strategy during its next budget-cycle meetings.

","County Judge Dale Lynch told the quorum court that county road revenues tied to mineral production have fallen sharply since 2022, prompting staff cuts and equipment-cost pressures. The court voted to amend and approve a one-time $60,000 transfer to 9-1-1 to keep dispatch functioning while budget committee review is scheduled.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Van Buren County quorum court approves six ordinances; 9-1-1 transfer amended to $60,000

Prosecutor warns Van Buren County of imminent loss of victim-witness coordinator after federal grant cut

Van Buren County judge warns of long-term road-funding squeeze; court approves $60,000 emergency support for 911