Published Dec. 19 in the Crittenden Press

Crittenden rescue petitions fail to meet requirements

By ALLISON EVANS
Editor, Crittenden Press

MARION — No new taxing district will be created for the Crittenden County Rescue Squad.

Crittenden County Clerk Carolyn Byford announced during Tuesday's meeting of the Crittenden Fiscal Court that more than 300 signatures on Rescue Squad petitions circulated earlier this year were disqualified, leaving fewer than the 782 needed to continue the process required to create the tax.

Byford said 846 signatures were submitted. Thirty-two were disqualified because they were listed twice on the petition; 43 people signed who are not registered Crittenden County voters; 91 people printed rather than signed their names; and an additional 163 contained imcomplete dates.

"The signatures were below the statuatory requirement, and those are things we cannot waive, they're laws," explained County Attorney Alan Stout. "It's up to the Rescue Squad to seek the action they want to take."

The rescue squad now has two options: File a suit in Crittenden Circuit Court challenging the clerk's findings; or begin a new petition drive.

"I don't know what we're going to do," said Rescue chief Donnie Arflack. "I wasn't really surprised, but I don't know what we'll do next.

"I knew some were on there twice and some weren't registered voters but I didn't think there would be that many disqualified."

Arflack said the rescue squad has $10,000 in the bank and no certain sources of future income.

"That was the point of the tax," he said. "No, it wouldn't cost the estimated $30,000 the tax would have generated, but the plan was to use the annual tax to plan ahead, replace trucks and continue ongoing maintenance so we don't have to keep something until it falls apart."

Judge-Executive Pippi Hardin has offered to help the rescue squad purchase a new boat, the cost of which Arflack estimates at $11,000 or $12,000. Arflack said they could use the money the rescue squad has in the bank and that offered by the court to purchase the boat, but it would deplete the agency's bank account.

"We have $10,000 but no guaranteed future source of funding," Arflack said. "We could blow a motor up in a truck and there's $3,000 or $4,000 ­ that could wipe it out quick."

Magistrate Curt Buntin wants people to know the court supports the rescue squad.
"We have not shut them out," he said.

Magistrate Roger Simpson said the rescue squad should be funded with taxpayer money.

"Those people already volunteer their time, they shouldn't have to stand out there and ask for money," he said.

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