State Rep gets Alexander Fire Department $5,000; Mayor changes sales tax distribution

The City of Alexander has received a $5,000 grant for the fire department with the help of State Representative Kim Hammer who submitted the grant application on the city's behalf. At the city's March 17 council meeting Mayor Michelle Hobbs told council members she has received the check. But now the question is how can it be spent.

Alderman Juanita Wilson said Hammer had heard about the fire department's recent difficulties and contacted her about possibly qualifying for a grant. She told him about the recent acquisition of a fire truck from the forestry service, which needs to be repaired. Also, the department is always in need of equipment.

However, when Assistant Fire Chief William Blankenship received the grant request form to fill out he wrote in the "Project Description" section, "To help equip a fire engine received from the Forestry Commission, relocate dryer to different area and to construct a screened-in deck onto the fire station."

This did not go well with Wilson or Alderman Andrea Bearden. Bearden told Blankenship he didn't need a grant to move the dryer closer to the washer and the fire department doesn't need a deck.

"You stated three meetings ago you needed a pump test done on all fire trucks at $1,800 each," Bearden said to Blankenship. "Why was this not included in the request?"

Blankenship said he added those items to bring the request up to the maximum amount of the grant, $5,000. Both Bearden and Wilson said he should have included the $1,800 pump test instead.

Bearden told Blankenship, "if you spend one dime of this money for a smoke deck or moving a dryer do not ask me to fix any vehicle."

Mayor Michelle Hobbs said she will find out what the grant money can be spent on before she signs the check.

UPDATE:

Alderman Juanita Wilson has posted an update to this article. According to her post she spoke to Amanda Adaire, Program Manager of Central Arkansas Planning and Development District, the agency that disburses these types of grants. According to her post she explained to Adaire the grant request should have listed needs similar to repairing the former Forestry Service fire truck, like pump tests and other equipment needs.

Wilson told Adaire the request to move a dryer and build a smoking deck, "were considered frivolous by the council."

Adaire said the city may submit a new grant request with the necessary changes and it will be approved, Wilson stated in her post. Wilson has also informed Mayor Hobbs of her conversation with Adaire.

In other action;

During the finance portion of the meeting Alderman Faye McKeon asked why the distribution of a one-cent sales tax was changed back to giving one-eighth of a cent to the fire department and five-eighths to police. Hobbs said the council lifted the spending freeze at the last meeting so she told the bookkeeper to change the sales tax distribution.

Bearden told Hobbs only the spending freeze was lifted. The sales tax distribution was a separate vote. The mayor claims changing the tax distribution will empty the police department account.

City bookkeeper Ruby Whitaker was at the council meeting and will go back to distributing the sales tax as instructed by the council.

During a special finance meeting held January 21 five out of six members of the Alexander city council voted to stop all non-essential spending until the city's finances are back in order. The decision came after discovering revenue for the fire department had been used to fund other departments. The freeze limited spending to payroll, utilities, fuel, or a declaration of an emergency. The spending freeze was lifted at the regular February meeting by a five to three vote.

Because the fire department fund is low the council, at the January 21 meeting, also decided to change how a one-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2003 is distributed. According to the wording on the ballot the tax "shall be distributed" with "3/4% of the revenue for the Police/Fire Department; and 1/4% of the revenue for Parks and Recreation."

In the past the 3/4% was divided evenly between police and fire, 3/8% each. Apparently that practice stopped since Hobbs became mayor, giving the fire department 1/8% and the police department 5/8%.

McKeon told council members because the ballot measure did not specify the 3/4% be "evenly divided" between police and fire the council can mandate how to split it between the two departments. In a five to three vote the council approved changing the distribution of the 3/4% giving the fire department 5/8% and the police department 1/8%. The two absent council members count as "no" votes.

The fire department also receives an entire one-cent sales tax from a ballot measure approved in 2005.