BENTONVILLE — County officials are working on an informational letter they plan to send to voters before the Feb. 11 vote on rural ambulance service.
County Judge Bob Clinard said Thursday a letter has been sent to George Spence, county attorney, for review. Spence has told officials an informational mailing would be legally permissible, but county government can’t take a position on the vote.
At A Glance
Ambulance Providers
County officials have agreed to pay the seven municipal fire departments providing rural ambulance service about $942,000 for 2014. The money would ensure the service is available but not pay the cost of patient care. All of the cities — Bella Vista, Bentonville, Gravette, Pea Ridge, Rogers, Springdale and Siloam Springs — have said they will bill private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare and the patients involved for the cost of any calls for service where a patient is transported by ambulance.
Source: Staff Report
“I will stay safely on this side of that line because I take that very seriously,” Spence said. “I don’t believe government can or should advocate.”
Theresa Pockrus, a Fayetteville attorney and former county collector who helped organize the petition calling for the vote, said she couldn’t remember county government doing anything similar in past elections and wondered how such a letter could be kept from campaigning.
“I’m not aware that the county has ever before done a mailing of that sort, even when they were talking about the sales tax,” Pockrus said. “I’m not sure how they can create a mailing that doesn’t advocate.”
The Quorum Court in September created an emergency medical services district and an $85 annual fee on households outside incorporated cities and towns and the area served by the Northeast Benton County Fire Department.
Pockrus called for a public vote at several meetings and hearings before the Quorum Court decided to adopt the measure on its own authority. She then helped organize a petition. The petition asked for the vote to be held with the November general election, but officials chose a special election instead. Spence told Clinard he believes the county can schedule an election early in 2014 and still have the fee on the tax statements if the measure is approved.
There are 19,827 registered voters, both active and inactive, in the area covered by the district, according to the County Clerk’s Office. Residents who aren’t registered have until Jan. 13 to register. Early voting will begin Feb. 4 during normal business hours at all three County Clerk’s offices.
The Quorum Court will need to find another source of money or not to pay for ambulance service if the election succeeds in blocking the fee. Rogers and Siloam Springs have said they will stop serving areas outside their cities if the county doesn't provide some money to cover the cost of making the service available.
County Clerk Tena O’Brien said absentee ballots for the Feb. 11 election will be mailed beginning today. O’Brien said anyone who applied for absentee ballots for all county elections will receive a ballot. Anyone who needs an absentee ballot for this election only will need to apply. The application form and information about applying for an absentee ballot are on the county’s website, www.bentoncountyar.gov, O’Brien said. The application can be mailed, emailed or faxed to any of the three County Clerk’s offices. Voters can also get the form at any Clerk’s offices.