10 minute read
Seems to Me
County government has an important role in maintaining the society upon which we all depend. This responsibility entails all manner of activities to provide for the health, safety and welfare of citizens and to foster economic growth to benefit those same citizens. Unfortunately, many people don’t recognize the roles and responsibilities carried out by local government — both counties and cities.
Counties of Arkansas are not just another special interest group. We are “a political subdivision of the state for the more convenient administration of justice and the exercise of local legislative authority related to county affairs” as defined by Arkansas Code § 14-14-102. Therefore, we should be given great consideration in the division of state budget dollars.
Counties, by and large, are the delivery arm of various, extremely vital state services. The state does provide financial support for many of these services — although not adequate support. In tough budget times when the state is looking for places to cut, state officials seem to forget that cutting support doesn’t diminish needs.
This past legislative session was successful in that the state of Arkansas stepped up to the plate to pass legislation to help relieve state prison and county jail overcrowding, which we believe will help in the long term. They also provided an adequate appropriation and funding level for paying counties when they house state prisoners and increased the per day rate paid to Arkansas counties by $2. For that we are very grateful. However, that was simply the state of Arkansas stepping up to do what was legal and right — paying for the just and legal debts of the state as is required by the Arkansas Constitution, Article 16, Section 2.
However, we also saw at least a couple of bills that became law that will hamper growth in assessment and collection of local property taxes, which will cause a reduction or a frozen level of property taxes on certain types of business property. This type of legislation wreaks havoc on local property taxes — a major source of revenue for county and city general and road/street operations; for libraries; for schools; and for other entities. The schools are the only protected entity. Because of the Lakeview court case and subsequent legislation, any local revenue shortfall will ultimately be made up by state funds. That puts the rest of us — counties and others — at more risk of losing state funds. Especially since the current proclivity of the Legislature is to cut taxes — make the pie smaller even though the mandates of service remain the same or increase.
Another negative happening for counties was a small reduction in county general turnback. This is a source of revenue provided by the state to help offset the costs counties face in the delivery of state mandated services. This source of revenue has been stagnant for years — even though the costs have not been stagnant. Even so, we suffered a small decrease in that source of funding through the Revenue Stabilization Act, although Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s original proposed balanced budget held us harmless. That could still have happened if legislators had given counties proper priority. Remember, county government is not just another special interest group — we are an arm of the state to deliver vital state services.
Although counties’ general turnback was cut by only 1 percent ($216,451), it is probably not widely known that our gross “general turnback” or “county aid” is reduced by a deduction of about $2.3 million for property reappraisal and another $5.5 million to help pay the salaries of Arkansas prosecutors, who are state employees for a state court system. That reduces our gross “county aid” to $13.9 million — less the $216,451 cut we took in this year’s RSA. This means the state is not even close to providing the proper amount of county aid to fund the mandates put on county government.
I am bolstered only by the fact that I know that for most
Eddie A. Jones County Consultant
75 Counties - One Voice
county officials their service in county government is a “labor of love.” I know it has been for me in my 35 years of service — 26 years as an elected official and the following years with the Association of Arkansas Counties.
The people of Arkansas are well served by those in county government. The commitment, dedication and passion of county officials is overwhelming. As a group, you work hard to bring common sense decision-making to local issues. You spend the taxpayer dollars wisely. You care about the people and the place they call home — your county.
Some of the best “public servants” work in Arkansas county government. I see professionals who bring great pride to public service. I see officials who are innovative and creative, officials that share a commitment to quality.
Yes, there are serious challenges ahead. But, I have great faith that you are up to the challenges. Those of you in county government office know that your residents want and deserve a better Arkansas. I believe that you are committed to this place, to your people, and to their future. We in county government know how to work together in a nonpartisan way to create change. And I know that you will not give up hope, even though it sometimes looks hopeless.
We had a tough but fairly successful legislative session. I phrase it that way because we were able to get most of our AAC bill package enacted into law. But, we also were challenged with many bills that were detrimental to county government. We were able to successfully challenge and defeat some of those bills. Others were enacted, and we will work to the best of our ability to administer and enforce them.
We even experienced a number of issues that had the potential to be divisive. But we worked hard to ameliorate and mitigate division. No one is going to represent the interests of counties except those of us who are in it — those of us who have spent our adult lives trying to better county government. When we are unified and speak with one voice, we have great power and strength. Our unified voice is made stronger by the diversity of who we are and of what we value.
What do we do with our problems? What do we do with our disappointments? We could do what Miss Havisham did. Remember her in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations? Jilted by her fiancé just prior to the wedding, she closed all the blinds in the house, stopped every clock, left the wedding cake on the table to gather cobwebs, and wore her wedding dress until it
hung in yellow decay around her shrunken form. Her wounded heart consumed her life. We can follow the same course. We can let our problems, disappointments, frustrations and disagreements consume us. Or we can do something positive and helpful. We can do the right thing. We could follow the example of the Apostle Paul. His goal was to be a missionary to Spain. However, God had other plans. Paul ended up in prison. Sitting in a Roman jail, Paul could have made the same choice as Miss Havisham, but he didn’t. Instead he said, “As long as I’m here, I might as well write a few letters.” Hence your Bible has the Epistles to Philemon, the Philippians, the Colossians and the Ephesians. He took a lemon and made lemonade. What an incredible journey Arkansas county officials have made to get to where you are. Many of you know that I was an elected county official for 26 years, then executive director of the Association of Arkansas Counties and, in retirement, a county government consultant. As The people of Arkansas are well served by those in county government. The commitment, dedication and passion county officials, we began this incredible journey for various reasons — encouragement by others, a pressing issue, a desire of county officials is overwhelming. As a group, to make things better, you work hard to bring common sense decision- a desire to serve others. Whatever the reasons making to local issues. You spend the taxpayer dollars wisely. You care about the people and the that got us here, tough times demand that we rise to the challenge and place they call home — your county. lead our counties and our state because we are servants of the people — public servants. Being a servant — that is what a county official is. We are not the king or queen on a throne. We are public servants who should bend low to serve. Servants resist stubbornness. Ulrich Zwingli manifested such a spirit. He promoted unity during Europe’s Great Reformation. At one point he found himself at odds with Martin Luther. Zwingli did not know what to do. He found his answer one morning on the side of a Swiss mountain. He watched two goats traversing a narrow path from opposite directions — one ascending, the other descending. At one point the narrow trail prevented them from passing each other. When they saw each other, they backed up and lowered their heads, as though ready to lunge. But then a wonderful thing happened. The ascending goat lay down on the path. The other stepped over his back. The first animal then arose and continued his climb to the top. Zwingli observed that the goat made it higher because he was willing to bend lower. That’s what we have to do as county officials, See “GROUP” on Page 24 >>>
GROUP
not only with the public we serve, but also with each other. We must stay unified. President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.” There is no one who has all the right answers.
I was recently reading President Gerald R. Ford’s book “Humor and the Presidency” and was quickly reminded of how so many of us in government have used humor to help us get through the tough times.
President Abraham Lincoln would often begin cabinet meetings by reading the satirical stories of Artemus Ward. This irritated some politicians, who felt the president should be more sober and serious. One such critic, a Congressman Arnold from New York, complained to Lincoln about the practice, asking: “How can you sit there and read those stories knowing the casualty figures that are coming in from Gettysburg?” Lincoln flung down his book of Artemus Ward stories and turned to Arnold, tears streaming down his face. “Mr. Arnold, were it not for my little jokes, I could not bear the burdens of this office,” he replied.
Will Rogers once told the story of visiting the White House and being greeted by Eleanor Roosevelt. “Where is the president?” Rogers asked. “Wherever you hear the laughter,” the First Lady replied.
Roosevelt’s White House was like Lincoln’s in its reliance on humor as a way of lighting a path through dark times. During the recent Arkansas legislative session I saw a number of legislators, county officials and other leaders that wisely called upon humor to help guide them through the tough times and on to success. Sadly, I saw others that saw no need — or maybe did not realize the availability of humor to help themselves and those around them. Humor sustains everyone connected to politics and can help span differences.
Tough times never last, but tough people do. No one is tougher than those who serve in local government — those serving in the county courthouses. You are there for the right reasons. The people who make the difference are not the ones with the credentials, but the ones with the concern — those of you serving in the county constitutional offices of this great state.
The strength of unity is what keeps counties in the game. President Woodrow Wilson said, “We cannot be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We stand together until the end.”
Counties provide vital services that keep society functioning, even if they are not recognized every day. We are not just another special interest group. The totality of what county government does remains the foundation upon which our state and nation were built and not the other way around.
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