Clinton County Fiscal Court held its regular meeting last Thursday, September 15 with all members present, and other than taking actions on the Tri-County Animal Shelter, also voted on items of business that dealt with tax rates and road equipment purchases.

(A separate article on actions taken in regard to the animal shelter can be found beginning on page 1.)

The court first approved the monthly treasurer’s report and fund transfers by unanimous vote, but again, claims and bills resulted in another split vote.

During discussion on claims and bills, a deputy jailer addressed the court about an issue that had come up earlier pertaining to the county purchasing food for the jail from Uncle Charlie’s food delivery company. The court had previously opted to stop using the company and instead purchase food locally.

The deputy jailer, however, noted that the company supplied food in bulk, many times at cheaper prices, and also had some items in stock in bulk that couldn’t be found locally. She said using the company was more convenient, time-saving, and at lower expense.

Magistrates agreed and opted to allow the jail to continue using Uncle Charlie’s as a source to purchase food for jail inmates.

Some questions about other bills were asked by magistrates and administrative assistance Penny Jo Stearns gave court members a print-out of expenses, including those pertaining to the recycling grant and how the funds are used. Apparently, jail inmates’ lunches are paid from those grant funds when they work under the Litter Abatement program.

When the motion was made to pay claims and bills, including inmate lunches, magistrates Mickey Riddle, Ricky Craig, and Patty Guinn voted no and magistrates Hershell Key, Johnny Russell, and Terry Buster voted yes, with judge/executive Richard Armstrong voting yes to break the tie once again.

Armstrong said he had worked alongside the inmates themselves and if they do that much for the county, “I feel we can at least buy them lunch.”

The court then approved, by unanimous vote, the Clinton County Health Department district tax rates for 2016-17, which is 3.5 cents per $100 accessed value across the board for real estate, personal property and motor vehicle.

Following another lengthy discussion on the animal shelter, the court approved an easement for a bus turnaround, requested by the school district, on the Robert Davis property in the Butler Ridge area.

The court then discussed the purchase of equipment for the road department.

Judge Armstrong informed the court of an upcoming state surplus auction, saying some good, low-mileage equipment could be purchased at the sale. He recommended the purchase of a dump truck and long-arm mower and requested permission from the court to attend the sale and purchase up to $50,000 in equipment.

Magistrate Riddle made the motion to give the judge permission to attend the sale and purchase the equipment, with the $50,000 cap included. The motion passed by unanimous vote.

The sale is scheduled for next Tuesday, September 27.

The only other discussion prior to the meeting being adjourned was when magistrate Riddle questioned road foreman Michael Craig about the number of times the county, overall, had been mowed thus far.

Craig said the county had received two full cycles of mowing and the process was continuing for another round currently.

Riddle claimed, however, that the Churntop area of the county, southwest of Albany, had only been mowed one time so far this summer. Both Craig and judge Armstrong noted that question would be looked into, and Craig also said that mowing, since it began back in the spring, had been continuous by county road crews.

The next regular meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court is scheduled for October 20 and is open to the general public.