By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
Money from a sales tax which went to pay off a bond for Howard Memorial Hospital will continue to go to the hospital even though the bond was paid off in June.
County Judge Brent Pinkerton told the quorum court Monday, July 21, that the bond attorneys had recommended that money continue to go to the hospital until the end of the year, when the sales tax is set to expire.
Howard County voters earlier this year enacted another one cent sales tax to be split per capita among the county, the four incorporated cities, the hospital and Developing Howard County, the economic development agency.
At Monday’s regular meeting for July, JPs also heard from Stacy Harberson, the hospital’s CEO, and Bill Craig, CFO, making their semi-annual report to the court.
Harberson submitted the names of Julie Rhodes, Johnny McJunkins and Mark Kitchens to be renamed to terms on the hospital board. The JPs unanimously approved the nominations.
Craig gave the hospital’s financial report and opened his remarks saying: “We’ve had a really good year.”
Later he responded to a question from Judge Pinkerton who said he read in a state newspaper article that a number of rural Arkansas faced possible closure. Craig denied that the hospital was among the state hospitals in danger.
In other action by the JPs:
A bid of $9,371 for a new air conditioner unit for the senior citizens center was approved. The bid is from Jimmy Mixon, one of three local air conditioner vendors that
the county uses on a rotating basis.
A delegation of Master Gardeners presented the court with a request to spend grant funds to enclose the Kidz Klub building near the Farmers’s Market for storage.
The JPs approved an ordinance which uses grant money to make some courthouse improvements, including keyless entries and half-door barriers for some offices.
The ordinance also set the amount for schools to reimburse the county for expenses incurred by the May school elections.
JPs acknowledged receipt of a legislative audit report for 2023 which noted no issues.
Constitutional officers present included Judge Pinkerton, who conducted the meeting, Sheriff Bryan McJunkins, Circuit Clerk Angie Lewis, Tax Assessor Cindy Butler, County Clerk Keri Teague, and County Treasurer Sheri Mixon.
The JPs included D’Ann Rogers, Don Marks, Jerry Harwell, Kerry Strasner, Juanita Jackson, Andy Hogg, Liz McDaniel and Janet O’Neal.
