AAC F A M I L Y F R I E N D S » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » »
Grand county responsibilities deserve serious conversation
of two very different ideologies and parties. Tere are certainly two sides to every story; however, this volatile situation in the nation’s Capitol trickles into the contrasting world of local representation and service. And that is a place where it doesn’t belong. Local and state politicians couldn’t afford to behave that way. County officials face real-world adversity daily in their respective
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courthouses. Small rural counties are on the front lines of increased responsibilities and mandates versus decreasing revenues and resources. Costs have increased for counties for several reasons. Of course, inflation is a consistent factor in expenses and impacts all of us and all public and private entities. Secondly, we are a division of the state and provide a multitude of services to our constituents that range from emergency services to road and bridge mainte- nance, and from managing the jails and providing protection to tax collection and disbursements to taxing agencies in the county which includes our public schools. A county’s responsibilities are grand and any organization that covers that wide of a service list and area expects grand expenses as well. And certainly you would like to expect the revenue to support such service to at the least keep up with inflation. Failing to invest in these basic services in a
t is a challenging time in public service. Tere’s no doubt- ing that. We have witnessed a complete breakdown and violation of the spirit of public service in our nation’s Capitol. Tis extremism plays like a wedge in the middle
logical and realistic manner, will prove negative for the stability of the future of county government. Chris Villines, AAC executive director, wrote a column for this edition that dives into county funding including history and background information and compari- sons to other public entities and their respective funding history. We know the state recognizes this dynamic funding need and we look forward to working with the state legislature to share our story and devise solutions seeded in bipartisanship. Counties will be asked to help themselves as much as they can and we are used to that. Modernizing and improving our way of serving and providing should be at the top of all our minds no matter how dysfunc- tional Washington becomes.
President’s Perspective
Hon. Mike Jacobs AAC Board President; Johnson County Judge
Te Honorable Mike Jacobs Johnson County Judge / AAC Board President ARKANSAS STATE CAPITOLSNAPSHOTS
(AAC Photos / Scott Perkins)
The Eternal flame, first lit in 1969, stands south of the Capitol building. It symbolizes the “Spirit of Freedom.” It memorializes the founders of the American Legion and that organization’s 50th anniversary. For more information go to
sos.arkansas.gov.
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