Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Willisville will get no money from county sales tax

Willisville will not be getting a third of the county sales tax dedicated for solid waste.

The Nevada County Quorum Court decided this in its regular monthly meeting Monday, April 8.

The court met with members of the Willisville City Council to discuss the one-cent solid waste tax collected in the cities of Nevada County.

Willisville had requested to receive its portion of the tax to improve their community, but Nevada County is unable to grant the request due to the limited funds available to keep the solid waste program in tact.

The county purchased two new garbage trucks in 2000, and this has called the county to suffer a financial shortfall. However, records show the county has been working with a shortfall since 1999.

Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown told of the many expenses that go into running the solid waste program. He said the salary of the employees, the upkeep of the landfill and the electric bills all are paid through the one-cent tax.

The court plans on using any surplus money that comes from the solid waste program to save to buy new trucks that can cost around $105,000. The Justices of the Peace suggested when the economy improves then maybe funds would be available to the towns of Nevada County, but at this time no funds can be given.

Brown pointed out Prescott and Emmet do keep their portions of the sales tax, but both communities also handle their own garbage pickup.

Gary Lewis, a member of the solid waste committee, said the county did manage to accumulate some money before it began going door-to-door for garbage pickup. Since then, the buffer has been shrinking each year.

Brown said the life of garbage trucks is about five years. The next time the county has to buy trucks, it will have to purchase both the truck and bed.

Nevada County hauls its household garbage to the class I landfill in Howard County at Nashville. All other trash goes into the Nevada County class IV landfill.

The county, Brown said, is a member of the Upper Southwest Solid Waste Management District, which is composed of nine counties in the region.

In talking about the sales tax, Brown said it brings in about $550,000 annually, with Prescott getting about $270,000. Prescott, he added, also pays 55 percent of the cost of maintaining and operating the county's class IV landfill.

Willisville councilman Mack Bridges asked if all townships had voted on the solid waste ordinance, and if so, how could it be changed without another vote.

"The original ballot," Brown said, "contained the phrase and other uses'."

He said when the Rip Griffin Truck and Travel Center is up and running it is expected to bring in about $70,000 a year in taxes, which will be divided among all towns in the county.

Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, said when Prescott gets a new business, 60 percent of the sales tax goes outside of the city, so any business Prescott gets helps the county.

He said communities within the county could also pass a one-cent sales tax for themselves, with all of the money staying within their city limits.

Chadwell said if any town in the county wants to try and pass a sales tax, he has forms in his office. He added those attempting to do this should state what the money will be used for.

Chadwell also discussed improvements being made in Nevada County. He said the Economic Development Office and Chamber of Commerce had recently opened a web page where all the information on of Nevada County can be found. People can log on to learn about schools, government, and any info the user may need.

The sites are: pnpartnership.org, prescottar.com and nevadacountyar.com

Chadwell said, "All the info we would send them are right there at their fingertips."

The website was available through a $3,000 grant given to the county from GTE before it sold to CentryTel.

Chadwell then discussed the need for permission to proceed with the rural water system. He said some people are not signing easements to allow the lines to cross their land.

"I would really hate to cross off a road for five people if two of their neighbors won't sign," he said.

He suggested those who want the water lines placed on their land to talk with their neighbors to get them to sign the easements.

Representatives from the Arkansas Legislative Collection Agency also addressed the court and proposed a new plan to collect fines owed to the county.

The county would turn over records of old fines that have not been collected and the agency would work to find the money.

Anna Mary Dougherty, with the Association of Arkansas Counties, said the county would keep 70 percent of the fines collected without having to do anything. This amount, she added, includes restitution and court costs, along with community service.

"It's flexible so we can go after those delinquent in paying the fines the county approves," she said.

In addition, the county will receive a monthly report on what the AAC has done in making the collections.

The court passed a motion to allow the agency to work with Nevada County and details of the records would be made later.