Benton County Judge Eyes Voter Education On Ambulance Plans

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County Judge Bob Clinard returned to work Tuesday, and he criticized the county's justices of the peace for not doing enough to promote rural ambulance funding plans.

Clinard, who was hospitalized more than a week ago with a heart condition, said the county needs to educate voters about the benefits of the two proposals on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

At A Glance

Rural Ambulance Funding

Benton County has two plans to fund rural ambulance service on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. One plan would levy a 0.2-mill countywide property tax and will be voted on by all of the county’s registered voters. The millage is estimated to generate about $833,981 in annual revenue. The second plan would establish an emergency medical services district with a $40 annual fee on each household in the district. The district will include the unincorporated areas of the county except for the area now served by the Northeast Benton County Fire Department’s ambulance service. That plan will be voted on only by residents of the proposed district. The fee is expected to generate about $527,868 in annual revenue. If both plans are approved the county would collect the revenue from both sources. The county will pay about $942,000 this year to the seven cities that provide rural ambulance service. The cost is estimated to increase to about $1.1 million in 2015.

Source: Staff Report

"The Quorum Court seems bound and determined to cut the county's budget," Clinard said. "It seems like they're putting more effort into the cutting than they are into promoting."

The justices of the peace are right to consider the impact on the county's 2015 budget if the plans fail, Clinard said, but he doesn't want voters to think budget cuts are the first option.

"If these funding plans pass we don't have to cut services to fund ambulance service," Clinard said. "I'm not saying they don't need to consider what happens if the plans fail, but there ought to be a balance. We ought to be doing everything we can to encourage people to pass it. I'd like to see it promoted more. It's good for all of the people in the county and in the cities."

Some justices of the peace said Tuesday that Clinard has to bear some of the responsibility for any voter education effort. Patrick Carr, justice of the peace for District 12, said he thinks it's too early for an all-out voter education campaign.

"That's his opinion and I guess he's stuck with it," Carr said of Clinard's suggestion the justices of the peace need to be more active. "You don't promote a ballot issue 90 days out from the election. That's what all the political strategists say. You need to do it within a month so people won't forget. We'll have our town halls. I imagine I'll have mine sometime in October. I'm doing my part to promote it and I know the other JPs are as well."

Joel Jones, justice of the peace for District 7, said the voter education effort hasn't yet begun in earnest, but he's confident it will be a priority for the Quorum Court. Jones said Clinard, as the county's chief administrator, also can do more.

"If we had to say today, I don't think it's been balanced out because we haven't been doing our town halls," Jones said. "To that point, I'd say the judge is probably right. But looking ahead to November I don't think that's going to be the case. A lot of us, I hope all of us, are planning on doing town halls. We're talking to people about it. But I would also say it's definitely under the judge's purview. We've talked about it and all but offered to create a public information officer position and he hasn't been interested in going down that road."

The Quorum Court can't wait until the election to consider how to fund ambulance service next year, Jones said.

"We have to look at the budget cuts, we can't wait till November when we're already done with most of the budget," he said.

Barry Moehring, justice of the peace for District 15, also said Clinard has to be active in promoting the voter education effort. The Quorum Court has to have possible budget cuts in place in the event the funding plans are rejected by voters, Moehring said.

"The reality is if neither of the proposals is passed cuts will have to be made," he said. "That's my point of view. I would look to the administration of the county to drive the public awareness effort as one unified effort. We absolutely need to work collaboratively with the county judge and his administration."

Clinard returned to work Tuesday after being hospitalized Aug. 22. He then underwent a procedure for a heart condition. He was approached by Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies after they received reports of an intoxicated man at the Frisco Festival in downtown Rogers. Clinard was being escorted to the deputies' vehicle when he indicated he needed medical attention. An ambulance was called to the scene and Clinard was taken to Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville where he remained until Aug. 26. He was issued a citation for public intoxication in lieu of arrest while at the hospital. Clinard elaborated on his condition Tuesday.

"I have what they've told me is 'non-ischemic cardiac myopia,'" he said. 'That's a condition where your heart can go into a rapid and irregular heartbeat at any time. My heart rate was 200 beats a minute when the EMTs got there. It's about 85 now."

Clinard, who was wearing a heart monitor Tuesday, said he will remain on medication and continue to be monitored for at least 90 days before doctors make a determination on how best to treat his condition. He has been cleared to work, but was cautioned to avoid stress and overwork.

"I'm going to be at work every day," he said. "I'm going to be here doing my job."

NW News on 09/03/2014

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