County’s attorney ordinance advances

HOT SPRINGS — Justices of the peace advanced an ordinance last week appropriating $31,795 to the budget of the county attorney’s office before it becomes a full-time position April 1.

The Finance Committee of the Garland County Quorum Court appropriated the money from nine General Fund-supported budgets, which, county officials said, contribute based on the number of employees in each budget and their level of reliance on the county attorney’s legal services.

The county judge’s budget pays the biggest expense. In addition to the $8,511 the Finance Committee appropriated last week, the county executive’s office already contributed $18,000. It’s part of the $87,050 the various budgets were already contributing to the parttime position.

Ralph Ohm has served as the county’s part-time attorney since 1993. Last year, he was joined by the John Howard and Sherry Daves law partnership, with whom he shares the $60,000 county attorney salary. Howard will become the fulltime attorney in April and receive $100,000 in annual salary.

County Judge Rick Davis said a review of attorneys’ salaries in similarly sized counties helped determine Howard’s pay. The job description the county’s Human Resources Committee approved in December calls for Howard to issue legal opinions and advice, serve as the quorum court’s legal counsel and fulfill other duties assigned by the county judge.

The job description didn’t include salary recommendations from the rating system the county uses to establish pay ranges for other employees.

Davis said last year the complexities of county government require more legal counsel than a part-time attorney can offer.

The appropriation and transfers that justices of the peace endorsed last week create a $118,575 budget for the county attorney for the final three quarters of 2018, including funds for a part-time legal assistant. The county finance department estimates a $155,140 budget for the office next year, including $146,600 in salary and benefits.

In addition to the General Fund, the Garland County jail’s operation and maintenance fund will contribute $21,020 to the county attorney’s 2018 budget. It’s supported by fines that district court defendants pay after their cases are adjudicated. The county projects $354,244 in revenue for the fund this year, including more than $235,000 in fines and bond forfeitures.

The finance department said money appropriated to make the position full-time won’t raise the percentage of General Fund expenses relative to anticipated revenues. Budget adjustments endorsed last week put expenses at 86.13 percent of the General Fund’s more than $21 million in projected 2018 revenue. County funds are prohibited by law from being appropriated beyond 90 percent of expected annual revenue.

The finance department said the bid from the county’s contract real estate appraisal service for the five-year reappraisal cycle that began in January was lower than what had been budgeted. In addition, the state reimbursement to the assessor’s reappraisal cost fund was more than what had been budgeted. Those two factors combined to free up $74,332 in the General Fund.