VAN BUREN -- Four full-time employees in the Crawford County Juvenile Office can expect to see bigger salaries going forward.
The county Quorum Court voted 9-0 to approve an ordinance appropriating the money to facilitate the pay increases through the end of the year at its regular meeting Monday. This includes a total of $9,444 between an intake officer and three juvenile probation officers. The juvenile office coordinates all affairs related to juveniles in the county court system.
Mike Medlock, the circuit judge who presides over the county juvenile court, said all juvenile office employees with a tenure of one year or more are eligible for part of their salary to be reimbursed by the state under Arkansas law. The Arkansas Legislature increased the amount by which the salaries could be reimbursed by passing Act 206 of 2022 this year, something Medlock wanted to pass along to the four employees who are eligible to receive it.
The $9,444 appropriated through the ordinance includes money for salaries, Social Security matching and retirement for the four positions.
The Quorum Court also approved a resolution endorsing the participation of Simmons Prepared Foods Inc. in the state "Tax Back" program. The program provides sales and use tax refunds on the purchase of building materials, machinery and equipment to qualifying businesses that create new jobs through construction, expansion or facility modernization projects, according to materials included in the meeting packet.
The Siloam Springs-based Simmons Prepared Foods, a poultry producer, announced Jan. 6 it planned to invest $100 million into an expansion of its prepared foods plant at 2101 Twin Circle Drive in Van Buren, according to a news release on its website.
The project will add 65,000 square feet to the facility to allow for two highly automated production and packaging lines, in addition to enhanced interior spaces and improved traffic flow in and around the site, according to the release. Simmons employed about 600 full-time team members at the plant at the time of the announcement.
Julie Murray, president and chief executive officer for the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce, wrote in an Aug. 17 letter to County Judge Dennis Gilstrap and the Quorum Court the expansion will allow Simmons to add 180-240 employees with an annual payroll of $7 million-$9 million. It will include 50,000 square feet and is estimated to cost $153 million. Construction, which began in January, is estimated to be complete in September 2023.
Absentees
Lonnie Myers, Chase DeCroo, Michael Morrison and Raymond Harvey — justices of the peace for districts 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively — were absent from the Crawford County Quorum Court meeting Monday.
Source: Crawford County