THE CITY OF RUSSELLVILLE BEGINS THE NEW YEAR WITH A NEW MAYOR, A NEW BUDGET AND TWO NEW ALDERMEN. MAYOR RANDY HORTON TOOK OFFICE OFFICIALS ON WEDNESDAY, SWORN IN WITH NEW ALDERMEN BILL EATON AND LARRY BROWN. EATON, WHO OPTED NOT TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AS MAYOR, RAN FOR THE WARD 2/POSITION ONE SEAT, WHILE LARRY BROWN RAN UNOPPOSED FOR WARD 4/POSITION ONE. RETURNING ALDERMEN INCLUDE ROBERT WILEY, FREDDIE HARRIS, MARK TRIPP, RICHARD HARRIS AND GARLAND STEUBER. WITH THE NEW YEAR, MAYOR HORTON AND THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE A BUDGET WITH APPROXIMATELY 12.7-MILLION DOLLARS IN GENERAL FUND EXPENDATURES, 5.8-MILLION IN CITY STREET MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP AND 1.8-MILLION IN PUBLIC WORKS FUNDING. ANOTHER BUDGET RELATED ISSUE THAT REMAINS UNCERTAIN FOR 2015, WILL BE THE SPECIAL FUNDS BUDGET, INCLUDING THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDING. COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE REVIEWING THAT FURTHER THIS MONTH.
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POPE, YELL, JOHNSON AND CONWAY COUNTY OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS OTHERS ACROSS THE STATE, HELD SIMILAR SWEARING IN CEREMONIES ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW YEAR. WHILE SEVERAL HELD THEIR FIRST ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS FOR 2015, OTHERS HAVE DELAYED THOSE UNTIL THEIR REGULAR SESSIONS THIS MONTH.
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POPE COUNTY QUORUM COURT'S ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING IS SET FOR JANUARY 8th. NEXT THURSDAY SESSION, WILL BE HELD AT 5 P/M IN THE COURT CHAMBERS OF THE POPE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. A JANUARY BUDGET MEETING AND QUORUM COURT SESSION WILL THEN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW.
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