Quorum Court News & Notes

Quorum Court News & Notes

2017 county revenues strong in early going

news@theeveningtimes.com

Crittenden County finished 2016 with a nearly $300,000 surplus and surpassed its revenue projections by 14 percent.

County Treasurer Charlie Suiter said the county collected $205,726 in revenue in December 2016 and ended with a $295,000 surplus, which was $25,000 above revenue projections.

“I’m proud of the numbers,” Suiter said. “We did finish above what we had last year. It was phenomenal just how close everybody came and how well the department heads stayed within their budgets.”

Suiter also informed the Quorum Court that the county has collected over $4.5 million for the new hospital.

In other business, the Quorum Court approved leasing a new copy machine for the county clerk’s office.

County Clerk Paula Brown said they have had problems with its Ricoh copier and decided to go with a different machine.

“I’ve decided to try a new machine,” Brown said. “I think it will be better. We are having a lot of problems with the Ricoh. And every time they come out, there is a service charge.”

The lease is for 60 months for a Konica Minolta Model B287 copier from Nova Copy.

The county will pay $154 a month plus a $10 a software support fee.

Justice Stacey Allen asked whether it was better for the county to buy a copier outright rather than lease one “Would it be wise to just buy a copier?” Allen said.

Judge Woody Wheeless said a new copier costs about $7,000, and each time there is a problem with the copier the county would have to pay a service charge for a technician to come out.

Wheeless said Nova Copy is also paying off the existing

contract.

“So we are clearing that contract out,” Wheeless said.

Justice Ronnie Marconi agreed it was better for the county to lease.

“We’ve done it both ways where I work,” Marconi said. “But it is better to rent.”

Brown said the new lease will save the county money and that the new copier has more features than the current

one.

“It is less than we are paying now,” Brown said.

By Mark Randall