Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Resolution outlines dangers of Amendment 3

Members of the Nevada County Quorum Court passed a resolution to inform people what can happen if Amendment 3 is passed during the Nov. 5 General Election.

This was done at the court's regular monthly meeting Monday, Oct. 14.

Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown told the justices of the peace a high court ruling doesn't allow counties to oppose any measure which would affect it.

However, the law doesn't prevent counties from telling people what could be the consequences of such actions.

Amendment 3 is the food tax proposal scheduled to be on the ballot Nov. 5. It is sponsored by the Arkansas Libertarian Party and, if passed, would eliminate tax on food and medicine in Arkansas.

According to an organization opposing the "Axe the tax" initiative, APPLE (Arkansans to Protect Police, Libraries, Education and Services), the loss of this revenue would cost Arkansas more than $700 million a year and would affect all walks of life in the state.

The resolution passed by the court states the passage of Amendment 3 would reduce state and local general revenues by at least $435.1 million; and, higher education would lose $26.4 million resulting in further reduction of scholarship opportunities and additional increased tuition for students; and Mediciad would lose $42 million from the soft drink tax which is used for 3:1 federal matching funds, which makes it a cumulative loss of $168 million; and cities and counties would lose $114.1 million.

The passage of Amendment 3, the resolution states, would do long term damage to the quality of life for every Arkansan.

"We can't tell people to vote against Amendment 3," Brown said.

He told the court studies show the county's solid waste tax brings in $400,000 a year, and if this amendment passes, it would be reduced by 30 percent.

This would mean the county would have to cut services, he said, or start charging for picking up garbage.

According to Brown, 42 percent of the state's general fund comes from sales tax, with 30 percent of this from food and drugs.

Nevada County's budget is about $1 million a year, Brown said, with the county getting $224,000 in state turnback funds.

"If the state's money is cut," he said, "in this bad economy, the state will cut funding to counties."

According to Brown, is the three school districts in the county raised their millage rate to make up for the cuts, Prescott would need an additional 6.9 mills, Emmet would require 13.1 mills and Nevada would need 4.5 mills.

"I'm not sure where no tax on groceries would help," he said.

Brown also told the court about funds received for a mosquito abatement program  $11,995.

This money, he said, is to be used for the entire county and every city in it.

An interlocal government meeting was held recently, with the mayors agreeing the public should be educated on how to get rid of mosquitoes around homes and save most of the money until next year's mosquito season.

"I hope we don't have a problem," Brown said, "but if we do we'll use the money then."

This money is a one-time grant and can only be used for education and to purchase larvicide. The larvicide is a bag of pellets thrown where larva are and kill them.

The type of mosquitoes in this area, Brown said, generally don't travel more than 300 feet from where they were born. So, if people take care of things around their homes, the problem should be reduced.

Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, said the ACE committees have finished their work and not the information gathered needs to be compiled and sent to the Arkansas Department of Economic Development.

There is a method, Chadwell said, where the entire county could be certified as an Arkansas Community of Excellence, and this recertification process has taken steps toward certifying the entire county next time.

About 30 more people have signed easements for the rural water project, due to the help of the volunteers who went door to door.

A meeting, he said, will be held with the volunteers to make sure they talked to everyone possible. Following the meeting, condemnation proceedings will begin in some areas.

Chadwell said appraisals have been made of several properties in question to determine its fair market value. Officials with the project will also look into where they may be able to cross the road as another option.

In other business, Brown appointed a budget committee made up of Bob Cummings, Gary Lewis and Arval Mason to prepare a preliminary budget for 2003.

The court also approved temporarily hiring Rita Reyenga to work in the Municipal Court Clerk's office while one of the employees is on maternity leave.