QC passes 2017 county budget and raises tipping fees

The Mississippi County Quorum Court (QC) met in regular monthly session Tuesday night at the Osceola Courthouse, but on a special day due to the upcoming holidays. The court waded through an unusually long agenda as they approved the county's 2017 budget, levied taxes, increased Landfill tipping fees and declared an emergency and repealed the ordinance that called for a special election on August 9. They also attempted to pass a new set of ordinances and resolutions that would call for a special election once again to consider floating a maximum of $22.5 million in bonds for the construction of a new Blytheville Courthouse. It would have extended out the sunset of the 0.5 percent sales tax currently used for the hospital, from 2020 to one that would be used for both the hospital and a new Blytheville Courthouse through 2047. For more information about the Courthouse debate, see the courthouse story.

The meeting opened with County Treasurer Peggy Meatte giving a financial report to the full court. Meatte said that the county's revenue from the 1-percent sales tax that goes to "county general" was $105,838.62. She said that was down from last month, but up from a year ago. The same was said of the 0.5-percent Economic Development Tax, which was $264,653.50 in October. That total was both down from September and up slightly from October of last year. Lastly, Meatte said that the 0.5 percent Hospital Tax was $264,653.49 for October. Likewise down from last month but up from last year.

The court did unanimously pass a 2017 county budget resolution and accompanying appropriation ordinance that set the departmental budgets for next year. The grand total for county general expenditures was finalized at $7,783,474 and other county general restricted funds were totaled at $7,808,074.The County Road Department's expenditure budget was set at $2,615,360 and those within restricted special revenue accounts totaled $11,840,499. Therefore, the grand total for county expenditures in 2017 is limited to $22,263,933 with anticipated revenues for the county during fiscal year 2017 at $25,682,956.

The QC also unanimously passed an appropriated ordinance fixing and levying the millage rates for the county, the Mississippi County Conservation District, Arkansas Northeastern College, local school districts and municipalities within Mississippi County and for 2017.

The Mississippi County Real Estate and Personal Property Tax was levied at 0.0097 mills. That is broken down to 0.005 mills for general funds, 0.0025 mills for the road department, 0.001 mills or the hospital system and 0.0012 mills for Arkansas Northeastern College.

Additionally, though set exclusively by the individual districts, school millage rates ranged from the county's lowest of 0.03 mills in Dell and Gosnell to the county's highest of 0.0414 mills in Manila and Etowah. Lastly the grand total ranged from the lowest at 0.0397 mills [in district 6 out of town] within the Gosnell School District but outside of the city, to the highest within the county [district 57/1] in Osceola at 0.0575 mills.

Lastly, in an attempt to set their pricing to meet prevailing market prices by other landfills in the region and in order to generate more revenue to offset deficit spending at the Landfill, the full court unanimously agreed to raise the county's tipping fees from $34.50 per ton to $40 per ton for Class 1 materials and from $26.00 per ton to $31.50 per ton for Class 4 materials brought to the County Landfill.

The justices said that they plan to revisit tipping fees on an annual basis now in order to keep tipping fees consistent with needs and market competitiveness. The new fee schedule will take effect on January 1, 2017.

thenry@blythevillecourier.com