Garland County Quorum Court considering resolution to fund more deputies, public safety officials

GARLAND COUNTY, Ark. – The Garland County judge said they need more sheriff’s deputies and on Monday night the quorum court’s finance committee met to discuss a resolution to help pay for it, but not everyone is on board.

Garland County justices of the peace in the finance committee voted to send a resolution to the full quorum court that would add more manpower to the Garland County Sheriff’s Office, the 911 communications center and the prosecuting attorney’s office.

County Judge Darryl Mahoney said the sheriff’s department has always been understaffed, but the need is more evident now than ever before.

“It’s difficult to send them out alone to a disturbance call when you may be going to a VRBO that looks like it should have two people in it, and it actually has 20,” Mahoney said.

Having more deputies he says would allow for at least to officers to respond to disturbance calls.

Mahoney said the constitution gives the quorum court the ability to impose up to five mills, instead of voters deciding for or against the mileage. They’re approaching it this way because of the timeline, going in front of voters he says would be a longer process.

“What we’re looking to do is try to get them hired in July and trained by the end of the year so that we’ve got the people on the street much more quickly,” Mahoney said.

He said the mileage would generate around $2 million each year.

“It’s $20 on the $100,000 piece of property, so the average home in Hot Springs, Garland County is about $241,000 so it would amount for $50 annually for each individual,” Mahoney said.

However, pushback did come from the locals not wanting the mileage tax.

“And I’m pleading with every board member come Monday to vote against this mileage tax,” BIll Fleming said. “We’ve got money.”

Mahoney said they do have funds to start people in this position as soon as July, but not the funding needed to do it long-term as of right now.

“We have some fund balances, but you cannot set up a recurring expense without a recurring revenue,” Mahoney said.

This passed in the finance committee with a vote of 3 to 2 and it will now head to the full quorum court for approval on Monday night.

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