Justice of the Peace Dr. Steve Ward this month questioned contracts Union County holds with outside agencies, following a similar discussion held at a recent El Dorado City Council meeting.
During the Union County Quorum Court's regular meeting on Nov. 16, Ward asked whether the organizations that receive grants from the county give regular reports about their operations.
"The organizations that receive us normally give us reports of what they do for the county, what services they provide, is that correct?" he asked. District 1 JP Mike Dumas answered in the affirmative.
"But we don't get any kind of detailed report, do we? It looks like we ought to have some kind of detailed report, maybe on a quarterly basis," Ward continued.
Union County budgeted $89,000 to go toward grants-in-aid for social services in 2024. Tammie Wilson, executive assistant to County Judge Mike Loftin, said the county currently has funding contracts with the Union County Animal Protection Society, Turning Point of South Arkansas, South Arkansas Children's Coalition, South Arkansas Development Center, Union County Conservation, Community Living Arrangements and the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce.
Ward noted that he does recall receiving year-end updates from UCAPS and the Chamber in 2022, but said he isn't sure if one annual report is sufficient.
"All I'm saying, with what I saw, is that we need much more detailed contracts, and we also need to receive maybe a quarterly report, a report of what they have accomplished or what they have done," Ward said.
Union County Treasurer Jody Cunningham, who formerly worked as Loftin's administrative assistant, said when she worked in his office, she did receive written reports from the Chamber each quarter.
"When I was over there, we didn't give money until they wrote a letter explaining what they were going to use it for and requesting the funds," she said. "I do specifically remember the Chamber giving quarterly reports – they sent them to me when I was over there."
Wilson said no funds are provided until the agencies requesting them have signed a contract with the county. The letters the agencies provide include reports on their local activities, she said.
No action was taken during the meeting, but Ward said afterward he would consider bringing the discussion up again in the future.
A similar conversation played out during a recent El Dorado City Council meeting, and on Monday, all agencies the city contracts with provided reports on their activities to the Council.