Quorum Court approves tax appropriation, software purchase

During a regular meeting of the Hot Spring County Quorum Court Tuesday, the justices of the peace approved an ordinance to appropriate funding for road projects and to update 911 recording software.

The court voted to appropriate $110,000 to a special projects line item.

According to County Judge Dennis Thornton, this money came from a new fuel tax and the funding will be used to purchase asphalt for street projects.

The cost for the upgraded 911 software is $14,250.

The court also approved the first of three readings of a bill involving a hiring freeze the court approved in 2019.

According to the proposed

bill, county officials will be allowed to fill “open positions” under certain conditions.

These conditions in

clude:

•“The date the new employee begins work shall be no earlier than the first day after all vacation time, sick time, and comp. time, if applicable, of the previous employee in that position has been paid.”

•“Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a lump sum payment of time owed in order to accelerate hiring a new employee, or for any other purpose, without approval of the quorum court.

• “In any month a new employee is hired, that county office shall provide, in writing, a report to the quorum court showing the date of the previous em

ployee’s termination or resignation, the hours owed to them and the start date of the new employee filling that position.”

The court approved an ordinance to allow Thornton to fill a full- time administrative assistant position and an ordinance to create the Coronavirus Relief Fund.

This fund is required for the county to receive money through the CARES Act, Thornton said during a recent Rules, Boards and Commissions Committee meeting.