Road update has been consistent it seems since March…excess rainfall in various parts of Carroll County which has lead to flooding of creeks, rivers and even creating streams that were not there previously.

This past weekend was no exception by washing away of roads, a low water bridge and even one bridge. On Wednesday, July 16th, I declared Carroll County a disaster area. In being financially responsible, I believe that damages will meet the threshold required of $25,000 to qualify for State Aid, which is 35 percent of our damages. This is the maximum percentage since the damage is limited in an isolated part of the State.

Meetings last week included in Rogers, Arkansas with the Army Corps of Engineers and a session on how the lake system in Northern Arkansas and Southern Missouri operates. The information was enlightening and once described in detail, you can understand how they arrive at decisions. These conclusions are not to the agreement of everyone involved; however, the decisions cannot be based on only one area, it does require how every decision made will affect everyone in the entire lake system.

Also, while in Rogers that same afternoon, I attended a meeting of the Governor's Taskforce on the Economy of Arkansas. There were two items that I personally brought and both were accepted as items to be re-addressed in Little Rock. First was the situation Carroll County has on its plate with the expansion of the Tyson poultry plant in Green Forest…staffing. My suggestion was that the Arkansas Workforce, Office of Employment, issue some type of communication to all offices throughout the state with information that there is a need for 370 positions and that this department participate with some plan possibly offering relocation funding. This financial investment will be not only immediate relief to the State Employment funds but, also, permanent employment to the individual while at the same time assisting with the situation in Carroll County. One person on the committee stated that 400 jobs were recently lost at a poultry plant in Southern Arkansas…this could be a possible solution to their problem by project coordination.

Second was the issue I brought to the table at the Rural Development Conference in Eureka Springs a few weeks ago. And, now as then, most attending were not aware of the personal property tax on livestock. That is after an animal is two years old it is required that you file this on your annual personal property declaration. Those in attendance admitted that Arkansas is primarily an agriculture state, removal of this tax possibly could be of additional growth, and monetary profit, to that segment of our State revenue. This will require legislative action and is an issue I will present at the County Judges' meeting in August to be presented as an association at the next legislative session. I do, and with actions, promote and protect agriculture and all business in our county.