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County employees and elected officials using their own vehicle will be allowed more mileage reimbursement for authorized trips, Clark County justices of the peace voted Monday during a regular Quorum Court meeting.
Justice Jonathan Huber sponsored the ordinance to amend a previous ordinance which set mileage rates at 34 cents per mile. The amendment called for the rate to increase to be the standard mileage rate as published by the IRS — 55 cents.
“I had a couple people talk to me about the rates,” he told the court, noting that the last change in rates was made in 2005 and that the expenses in operating a vehicle have “gone up a lot in the last four years ... We are way behind.”
He said he’d had a “couple people tell me they disagree” with increasing the rates. Gasoline in Malvern, he said, was $2.39 per gallon in Malvern Monday while gasoline in Arkadelphia was a dime higher. “We’re always 10-15 cents higher than everyone else,” he said, which received many nods and muttered comments from other justices.
“I would like to see us increase,” he said. He offered to lower his proposed change to a lower price — the price the state pays its employees — at 43 cents per mile.
County Judge Ron Daniell said he has spoken with officials in counties with similar populations — including Conway, Dallas and Columbia counties — and they all have their mileage rates set at 34 cents per mile as well. The rate set in Hot Spring County, however, is 50 cents, he said. “Most counties (with larger populations) go by the state rate.”
Huber replied: “The state rate is fine.” Justice Mac Neel added that 34 cents per mile “is a joke.” Vanilla Hannah asked if there were any agencies in the area that use the IRS rate. Jerry Buck said some private companies use the IRS rate, but said the danger in having such a high rate is having employees abuse the rate. If three people were to attend the same event, he said, then there might not be any effort made to carpool so each employee gets the high rate for his own vehicle.
Buck said he did not have an issue with the state rate, “but I do have an issue with 55 cents.”
Francis McGill asked if justices could just add the same value as the state’s current rate rather than the county always using the rate set by the state. Huber said the state rate “periodically increases,” and added that if it increases its rate a penny, the cost would not have a large financial effect on the county.
It was noted that justices who live in the city limits of Arkadelphia are not reimbursed for their mileage to quorum court meetings.
Justice Tom Calhoon moved to read the amended ordinance to read that mileage reimbursement for authorized travel on county business shall be the standard mileage rate as adopted by the state of Arkansas. Brown Hardman seconded the motion.
Hannah asked if raising the rate would pose a problem with employees abusing the increased rate. Huber said it should not be a problem since all travel must be authorized by the county.
The ordinance passed unanimously.
The first item on the agenda was a presentation by Lonnie Jackson, director of Small Business and Technology Development Center at Henderson State University. Jackson gave a report on the FastTrac Growth Venture small business training. His report included video and slides from about 10 small business clients who partook in the program.
The county’s budget and finance committee apparently cut off funding to the FastTrac program during the 2010 budget process.
The third and final item of new business was passing the proposed 2010 budget.
Huber moved to add $1,875 back to the budget for the SBTDC program to continue funding FastTrac. He said the money funded to the program by the county does not even allow FastTrac compensation “for what they do for the county.” He added that Jackson, who left the meeting after his presentation, has spoken with the court on several occasions to keep justices updated on the program. Calhoon echoed his comments.
Neel, who served on the budget committee, said the panel talked among itself to find out how much the program helped the county, but no one knew. “We were $100,000 short” during the budget process and trying to find places to cut. Albert Neal, who also served on the committee, said he is “very much for” adding the funding back to the budget for FastTrac.
The funding was placed on a “clean-up” ordinance, to be read in the court’s January meeting.
The budget passed unanimously as it was proposed by the committee, which Daniell thanked for its work during the budget process. He said the 2010 budget was the “worst budget we’ve had” since he has been county judge, adding that there were “tense moments” in the budgeting process.
County employees and elected officials using their own vehicle will be allowed more mileage reimbursement for authorized trips, Clark County justices of the peace voted Monday during a regular Quorum Court meeting.
Justice Jonathan Huber sponsored the ordinance to amend a previous ordinance which set mileage rates at 34 cents per mile. The amendment called for the rate to increase to be the standard mileage rate as published by the IRS — 55 cents.
“I had a couple people talk to me about the rates,” he told the court, noting that the last change in rates was made in 2005 and that the expenses in operating a vehicle have “gone up a lot in the last four years ... We are way behind.”
He said he’d had a “couple people tell me they disagree” with increasing the rates. Gasoline in Malvern, he said, was $2.39 per gallon in Malvern Monday while gasoline in Arkadelphia was a dime higher. “We’re always 10-15 cents higher than everyone else,” he said, which received many nods and muttered comments from other justices.
“I would like to see us increase,” he said. He offered to lower his proposed change to a lower price — the price the state pays its employees — at 43 cents per mile.
County Judge Ron Daniell said he has spoken with officials in counties with similar populations — including Conway, Dallas and Columbia counties — and they all have their mileage rates set at 34 cents per mile as well. The rate set in Hot Spring County, however, is 50 cents, he said. “Most counties (with larger populations) go by the state rate.”
Huber replied: “The state rate is fine.” Justice Mac Neel added that 34 cents per mile “is a joke.” Vanilla Hannah asked if there were any agencies in the area that use the IRS rate. Jerry Buck said some private companies use the IRS rate, but said the danger in having such a high rate is having employees abuse the rate. If three people were to attend the same event, he said, then there might not be any effort made to carpool so each employee gets the high rate for his own vehicle.
Buck said he did not have an issue with the state rate, “but I do have an issue with 55 cents.”
Francis McGill asked if justices could just add the same value as the state’s current rate rather than the county always using the rate set by the state. Huber said the state rate “periodically increases,” and added that if it increases its rate a penny, the cost would not have a large financial effect on the county.
It was noted that justices who live in the city limits of Arkadelphia are not reimbursed for their mileage to quorum court meetings.
Justice Tom Calhoon moved to read the amended ordinance to read that mileage reimbursement for authorized travel on county business shall be the standard mileage rate as adopted by the state of Arkansas. Brown Hardman seconded the motion.
Hannah asked if raising the rate would pose a problem with employees abusing the increased rate. Huber said it should not be a problem since all travel must be authorized by the county.
The ordinance passed unanimously.
The first item on the agenda was a presentation by Lonnie Jackson, director of Small Business and Technology Development Center at Henderson State University. Jackson gave a report on the FastTrac Growth Venture small business training. His report included video and slides from about 10 small business clients who partook in the program.
The county’s budget and finance committee apparently cut off funding to the FastTrac program during the 2010 budget process.
The third and final item of new business was passing the proposed 2010 budget.
Huber moved to add $1,875 back to the budget for the SBTDC program to continue funding FastTrac. He said the money funded to the program by the county does not even allow FastTrac compensation “for what they do for the county.” He added that Jackson, who left the meeting after his presentation, has spoken with the court on several occasions to keep justices updated on the program. Calhoon echoed his comments.
Neel, who served on the budget committee, said the panel talked among itself to find out how much the program helped the county, but no one knew. “We were $100,000 short” during the budget process and trying to find places to cut. Albert Neal, who also served on the committee, said he is “very much for” adding the funding back to the budget for FastTrac.
The funding was placed on a “clean-up” ordinance, to be read in the court’s January meeting.
The budget passed unanimously as it was proposed by the committee, which Daniell thanked for its work during the budget process. He said the 2010 budget was the “worst budget we’ve had” since he has been county judge, adding that there were “tense moments” in the budgeting process.
