Christian County Commission ends small sales-tax interest payouts to special road districts and approves 2026 department budgets

Christian County commissioners voted to discontinue the county's practice of distributing sales-tax interest to special road districts beginning in fiscal year 2026 and approved a slate of department budgets for 2026 during a regularly scheduled commission meeting.

Highway Administrator Miranda recommended ending the separate interest distributions to several small special road districts and described the sums involved: about $8,500 a year for Ozark and Billings special road districts, roughly $2,300 for one district, $1,900 for Garrison, $900 for South Sparta and about $650 for Stone Shire. "So that's why the recommendation is to stop that immediately, and not disperse that any longer in FY26," Miranda said. The auditor and treasurer, Miranda told the board, support the change. Commissioners approved a motion to discontinue the sales-tax interest distributions by voice vote.

Commissioners said the change will shift the affected interest into the county's broader road maintenance allotments (C1 and C2) to support county-owned road projects rather than small, stand-alone districts. The board directed staff to notify the affected special road districts; Miranda said she would draft letters to inform them.

During the meeting the commission approved 2026 operating budgets for several offices by individual voice votes: the treasurer's office, the public administrator, building maintenance, the county recorder, the prosecuting attorney and the sheriff's department. Treasurer Baloo described a straightforward budget for a single employee and routine operating costs that includes previously approved cost-of-living adjustments and higher health insurance premiums.

Prosecuting Attorney Tuohy presented the office's annual report and its budget request. She said the office filed 6,304 charges during the reporting period and reviewed 10,211 charges referred by law enforcement; the office recorded 6,329 guilty pleas (1,106 felony counts, 5,223 misdemeanor counts). "This year has been the highest year for jury trials," Tuohy said, reporting 12 felony jury trials with 11 guilty verdicts and one acquittal, and noting the office tried two homicide cases. Tuohy also reported $236,617.96 in restitution collected on behalf of victims and roughly $66,000 in administrative handling fees used to offset budget items. Commissioners approved the prosecuting attorney's budget.

The commission approved a short-term extension attestation for VOCA (the federal Victims of Crime Act grant) covering Oct. 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026, to preserve funding tied to victim advocate positions and related services. The prosecutor had cautioned that VOCA and similar grants are seeing reduced reimbursements and said the office will absorb some costs if necessary.

Sheriff Smith presented the sheriff's budget and described multiple discretionary funds under the sheriff's control (federal forfeiture fund 205; law enforcement training fund 208; civil process fund 210; inmate/detainee security fund 212; concealed carry fund 215). He described a federal partnership (287(g)-style) with Homeland Security and ICE that trains deputies in immigration enforcement and provides reimbursements and equipment funding; "they also gave us about $250,000 to purchase needed equipment and supplies," the sheriff said. The sheriff reported an average daily jail census of about 174 in a facility originally built for roughly 100, and told the commission a new jail is needed. Commissioners approved the sheriff's 2026 budget by voice vote.

Presiding Commissioner Lynn Morris credited Congressman Billy Long and local staff for helping secure federal funds that contributed to recent technology and communications upgrades for public safety. Commissioners also noted implementation of a new county-wide 9-1-1 dispatch system and named 9-1-1 Director Becky Bacon as a January report-back.

The meeting closed with announcements about community events, the launch of a bi-monthly county newsletter called the Christian County Chronicle and holiday greetings. Next procedural steps are notification letters to affected road districts about the sales-tax interest change and follow-up reporting on 9-1-1 operations and jail-capacity planning.