The Mississippi County Quorum Court is expected to consider an ordinance next week that will send another $750,000 of county money to help the hospital system.
In a Finance Committee meeting Monday, Justice John Alan Nelson, chairman, asked fellow justices to consider the expenditure. The money will go to recruiting and guaranteeing income for four doctors to practice in the county's two hospitals. The four would be a general practice physician, a surgeon and two hospitalists, who will staff the hospitals full-time.
The money will be used to bring the doctors to Mississippi County and underwrite their expenses until their practices are established.
"I think it would be money well-spent," Nelson said.
Last month, Nelson asked members of the court's Economic Development Committee to allow the use of $750,000 from the county's economic development sales tax revenues for the same purpose. Members of that committee rejected the idea, saying the tax was not passed by voters for that purpose.
On Monday, Justice Michael White supported the idea.
"The Quorum Court is doing everything we can do to ensure the survival of our hospital system," White said.
Nelson said he would ask personnel from the hospital to attend the Quorum Court meeting to answer any questions justices might have.
According to the county treasurer's trial balance, at the end of June, the county's hospital fund had no money in it. The county general fund had $1.8 million with total county funds of $19 million, including $6.3 million in checking and $12.9 million in CDs, all in banks throughout the county.
"We're in good shape" financially, Nelson said at the beginning of the meeting. He noted that 42 percent of the county's revenues for the year remained unspent.
"Our county officials are holding expenses down," he said. The expenditures were listed at 39 percent, he said.
County revenues will see an influx of cash in the fall as property taxes are paid by Oct. 10, he added.
"I'm very happy with the way things are progressing," he said.
The committee also agreed to recommend appropriation of funds for the county road department. The county has received a grant from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to make their equipment more environmentally friendly. Two of the county's road graders have received new engines and two others have had engines rebuilt. Once the money is spent on the work, the grant will reimburse the county. The amount spent comes to about $130,000.
The committee also agreed to recommend to the full court appropriation of grant funds for the election commission to construct a handicapped-accessible ramp at the Moore Center, where early voting takes place and for a $4,000 grant for the Office of Emergency Management for planning and supplies.
dhilton@blythevillecourier.com