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Pope County approves small appropriations, library roof spending and several transfers
Summary
The Pope County Court approved a series of budget appropriations and transfers on Feb. 4, 2024, including scholarship and library roof appropriations, detention center repairs and transfers, and rollovers for EMS and road department construction funds.
At its Feb. 4, 2024 budget meeting, the Pope County Court approved multiple appropriations and transfers, including library scholarship money, continued funding for a library roof project and several detention-center and facility repairs.
The court approved the following actions (motions were made, seconded, and approved unless noted):
- Request for funds: Tax collector Jennifer Hayes received an appropriation of $2,700 from her automation fund to correct her budget entry for October collections. Outcome: approved.
- Library scholarship: Library staff member Riley Terone received an appropriation tied to an Arkansas State Library Board scholarship; Terone said the award covers coursework for her master's in library science and the amount moved was $2,700. Outcome: approved.
- Library roof project: The court approved an additional appropriation of $375,000 as a continuation of a roof and drainage project at the county library. Terone said the work includes drainage, concrete repairs and adding a slight pitch to previously flat sections. Outcome: approved.
- Detention center appropriations: The court approved repairs and replacements at the detention center, including a 100‑gallon hot-water heater and work requiring a crane to replace an original unit; specific appropriation amounts for the crane/replacement were discussed by staff but not specified in the meeting record. Outcome: approved.
- Detention center transfers: The court moved commissary/communications funds ($6,201 referenced in the discussion) to cover kitchen equipment and replacement water heaters; the transfers were approved to the correct line items. Outcome: approved.
- Road department insurance refund: The court accepted a refund of an insurance premium related to the former road department sale (amount not specified) and approved the transfer. Outcome: approved.
- Senior center HVAC: The court approved replacement of a failing 6-ton HVAC unit at the senior center; the county’s contract requires providers to pay the first $500 of a major repair; the county paid the balance. Outcome: approved.
- Rollovers for construction funds: The court rolled remaining 2024 appropriations into 2025 construction funds to continue the new road department and EMS facility projects. Judge Ben Cross said the rollover will "zero out" the funds available for the projects and warned the court may need a follow-up appropriation in March to cover a remaining 2024 bill he estimated at about $4,900. Cross also estimated (as a projection) the county could be about $750,000–$850,000 short on EMS finishing costs and roughly $500,000 short on the road department after additional site requirements such as security fencing; those figures were presented as the judge’s estimates. Outcome: approved.
- Prosecuting attorney transfer: A transfer of $8,500 within the prosecutor's budget (to correct line items for assessments and memberships) was approved.
All listed motions were approved without recorded opposition during the meeting. Several items were described as transfers of previously appropriated funds rather than requests for new revenue.
