Court tables funding budget issue

By Staff, 12/19/17 12:58 PM

PRESCOTT – A special meeting of the Nevada County Quorum Court Monday evening resulted in the only item on the agenda being tabled until March.

The only item the court was to discuss was using money from the 2017 budget to give to the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce. JP George Smith brought the subject up during the court’s December meeting, initially suggesting it be added to the 2018 budget. At the time, though, the proposed budget for next year had not been approved, though a motion had been made to do so.

The court discussed providing the Chamber with an additional $5,000, with Smith saying the county provides the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office with $25,000, but only pays $600 a year to the Chamber in dues. He rescinded his motion to give the money from the 2018 budget, suggesting, instead, it be provided from the carryover from 2017. The end result was a special meeting being set to discuss the issue.

Nevada County Treasurer Susie Key was asked how much overage the county will have at the end of December. She said the amount is unknown because the December bills won’t come in until January and something could still happen between now and the end of the year requiring funds from the 2017 budget. At this time, she said, the projected amount of carryover is around $200,000 but the bills from November and December haven’t come in yet and have to be paid from the 2017 budget.

Any bills for 2017 coming in after the end of February, she continued, will have to be paid from the 2018 budget, but any carryover from 2017 can be used.

Jamie Hillery, executive director of the Chamber, provided the JPs with copies of the Chamber’s annual report showing how much the Chamber does in the city and county and just in the county. Some of the county only boards the Chamber works with include: the Nevada County Fair Association, the Nevada County Farmer’s Market Association, the Nevada County Leadership Board, the Nevada County Depot Museum Board, the Nevada County Extension Council. The Chamber also oversees the rental of the fairground property, manages the farmer’s market, updates and maintains the Facebook pages for the Chamber and farmer’s market, does ribbon cuttings for businesses as well as hosting community coffees. The Chamber also spearheads holiday activities and puts on the annual Fall Festival.

Some of the joint ventures with the city and county include the Chamber being members of the Arkansas State Chamber, Arkansas Festival and Events Association, Arkansas Great Southwest, Prescott-Nevada County Interlocal Industrial Board.

On a daily basis the Chamber works with local and area businesses, attends meetings to keep current on city and county happenings, networks the city and county, serves as a central location for clubs and organizations, maintains the marquee sign, updates the Chamber website, plans and organizes community events, sponsors the crawfish boil, Trick or Treat on Elm Street, the Christmas consumer expo, Christmas parade, Christmas on the Square, Easter Egg Hunt, scholarship program, the craft and community garage sale and the stuff the box Christmas program.

The JPs were provided a list groups the county provides funds to and the amounts given. These groups include: Nevada County Rescue, Soil Conservation, Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development, Depot museum, Nevada County Fair, the EDO, the Hamilton-Blakely Senior Adult Center, the Chamber and Nevada County Ambulance. Of this, the Chamber is the only entity receiving less than $1,000.

In the end, though, the court agreed to table the issue until its March meeting when the budget will be revisited.