The Carroll County Road Department is progressing with the grading of County Roads after another series of damaging rain.

By the end of this week all ten John Deere road graders will be delivered; and, on Monday, June 9, a factory representative will instruct our operators as to the proper daily maintenance procedure. Additionally, with this, Carroll County has benefited with the sale of 11 old graders in the amount of $620,000.00 that will be invested in a certificate of deposit. The purpose is that in three years the lease on these graders will expire and this money, plus the compounded interest, can be utilized to purchase these graders; or, new graders can be leased again and these fund can become operating capital for other road projects. This gives options for the county at that time.

And, mentioning financial issues, last week I was invited to speak at a Rotary meeting on the financial position of Carroll County. I did some research and with facts from the County Treasurer reports, I compared the first four moths of 2007, which is reported as the best carryover in memory, to the same period this year. I was proud to state that Carroll County is ahead of last year to date by $778,307.27. However, we cannot proceed and spend without thoughtful consideration, but we are in good financial condition.

This week also includes the State Legislative Audit Office commencing with an audit for the year 2007. This will give a report for the Quorum Court to review spending and if accounting procedures are followed in accordance with state code.

Friday, June 13th, will be our next Quorum Court meeting at the Berryville Courthouse…if you have the time to observe your county government in action, please attend.

At this time there are positions available for citizens to fill on two county boards that are in need of members. The County Airport Commission needs two individuals and the Water Board needs three individuals. If you have the skills to participate on either of these teams, and would like to contribute to your county in a very positive manner, please contact your Carroll County Judge's Office during normal business hours.

And, a reminder…if you are in an area where it is long distance to call your Carroll County Government Offices…TOLL FREE telephone numbers to County Offices are published occasionally in our local newspapers or call the office of the County Judge at 888-423-2082 and we will supply a list of these TOLL FREE numbers.

Thursday, June 4th, I was invited to speak Class 13 of LeadAR, a two-year leadership program that is operated by the Division of Agriculture of the University of Arkansas. If anyone is interested in enrolling in "LeadAR" you may contact Mr. Leon Duncan at the Extension Office in Berryville.

In closing, just one of those friendly reminders to drive carefully…the life you save may be your own.