White pitches courthouse to Rotarians

Justice Michael White pitched the proposed new Blytheville courthouse to Blytheville Rotarians Thursday, encouraging them to support both ballot measures in the Aug. 9 special election.

The first ballot issue calls for a split of the current 1/2 percent hospital tax between the Mississippi County Hospital System and the building of a new courthouse in Blytheville.

If approved, the tax would sunset on March 31, 2046, instead of the current expiration date of March 31, 2020.

The second measure allows for the issuance of $22,500,000 in bonds for the construction of an $18-20 million courthouse on Highway 61, near the future Love's.

White said it is critical for both issues to pass for the project to come to fruition.

Though neither measure changes the county seat or closes the Osceola courthouse, the proposed courthouse would be large enough to consolidate the two courthouses, if the county chose to request a future special election on that issue.

"Personally, I wanted to do it all at once...and change the county seat," White said, noting the new courthouse would be centrally located according to population.

However, resistance from Osceola area residents led to the county proposing keeping the Osceola courthouse, at least for now.

White feels there are enough potential voters on the north end of the county to pass the tax, even with the opposition from Osceola.

He pointed out in 2014, both Blytheville and Osceola had hotly contested mayoral races, which saw Blytheville residents cast 3,453 votes, compared to Osceola's 2,077.

In that General Election, Blytheville Mayor Sanders had 1,513 votes and Councilman Tommy Abbott had 1,647 votes.

Gwendolyn Orr finished a distant third, with 293 votes, but forced a run-off won by Sanders.

In the 2014 Osceola mayoral race Mayor Dickie Kennemore received 1,111 votes and Bryan Winston received 966.

White said the north-south division comes mostly from the south end of the county.

He pointed out 85 percent of Mississippi County residents live on the north end of the county.

Meanwhile, White said if the tax proposal passes, any overage would be restricted to the ordinance.

The measure allows for the money to be used "to repair, improve, renovate, equip, operate and maintain" the county healthcare facilities, and "acquire, construct, repair, improve, renovate, equip, furnish, operate and maintain new or existing county courthouses and court facilities located in Blytheville, Arkansas."

It also allows for the improvements of county roads, bridges, culverts and related structures.

White said additional revenue from the tax could not be used on the Osceola courthouse because it specifies facilities in Blytheville.

Both the Blytheville and Osceola courthouses are in need of costly repairs.

The Blytheville courthouse was built in 1919 at a cost of $150,000. Meanwhile, the Osceola courthouse was constructed in 1912.

White said there is no plan for the current Blytheville courthouse, if a new one is built. He said it would take an entity with deep pockets, perhaps the state, to renovate the building properly.

mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com