Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Picayunish with Ricky Ragsdale, Publisher

Examining the records from the city of Prescott concerning past due utilities has raised some interesting questions not only about how the city operates, but as to why it is vital that certain information be public. The information that was released last week to the Nevada County Picayune was only part of our request for the records, the names of those past due accounts have yet to be released - and as far as we know the city has yet to seek its agreed upon opinion from Attorney General Mark Pryor. City attorney Glenn Vasser will be asking Pryor whether the names should or could be released, and if they are, is the city protected from potential lawsuits if those names are published.

Why is it so important that the names be released? Well simply put, it is for our protection as taxpayers. As a taxpayer, you and I have the right under Arkansas law to examine those records to be sure that we are not being treated any different from any other taxpayer, and that each taxpayer is being treated with the same equality.

Being treated equally as a taxpayer is what should concern each of us. Equality is not limited to skin color, sex, nationality, religious choice or position of authority in life. Being the low man on the pole makes me curious as to whether every person above me is having to face the same burden each month.

The decision to run names of the city's past due utility customers is not one that has been made yet. If they are run, it will be treated with the respect it deserves - due to the seriousness of the reason the utility customer has not been able to pay.

Mayor Howard Taylor confirmed last week that a few of the city's commercial accounts do not pay monthly, but often pay every other month or even quarterly. That is fine with me, as a taxpayer, as long as the account is paid by someone.

Ken McLemore in the April 7 edition of the Hope Star, reported that the city of Prescott has written off about $100,000 in past due utility bills over the last five years, $37,000 alone at the end of 1999. If that is true, as taxpayers we should question not only why, but who.

Both questions are the rights of the taxpayer to ask. I don't know if officials are trying to hide something or protect someone. As the low man on the pole, I think and hope that they are not. My inquisitiveness as a news reporter will not be satisfied until I know for sure.