HIGHFILL — Under consideration by the Highfill City Council and discussed at the council's May 10 meeting are proposed ordinances asking for a half-cent increase in the city sales and use tax and to put the proposed tax increase on the November ballot. The proposed tax increase would be specifically for road and street maintenance and improvements in Highfill and would sunset after five years.
The reason for the tax increase is to make needed repairs and do maintenance work on the streets and roads in Highfill and get the city caught up on work until projected new growth begins to offset the cost for road maintenance.
According to Stacy Digby, Highfill's mayor, the tax is needed to get the city's roads back in shape. He said he hoped new growth in the city would make it possible for the city to continue to maintain the roads after the temporary tax sunsets. The increase, if approved by voters, would generate approximately $175,000 per year for the duration of the tax, enough Digby said to make some noticeable road repairs and get the city in better shape before the tax sunsets.
"With the tax we could try to get back to where we need to be and, hopefully, progress will catch up before the tax drops out," Digby said at the council's April meeting.
Also distributed to council members and discussed at the May meeting was a bid package for a new trash service contract for the city. The proposed contract to be offered would have the city continue billing trash customers but would levy a 50-cent fee for the monthly billing service to offset costs to the city. The current contract expires at the end of the year and is not being renewed by the trash service provider.
A mutual aid compact between Highfill's police department and Cave Springs Police Department was approved. The agreement authorizes the Highfill Police Department to assist Cave Springs and Cave Springs' department to assist Highfill in emergency situations. Liability remains with the police officer's hiring municipality. Highfill has similar mutual aid agreements with other nearby cities.
Blake Webb, the city's police chief, addressed the council in regard to the salary and hiring of a new police officer to replace one of the city's three full-time officers. Sergeant K. Jenison resigned and Officer D. Robertson was promoted to sergeant and took over duties as K-9 handler for the city. Chief Webb proposed a plan to hire another full-time officer rather than hiring several part-time officers. In his report, he proposed delaying the hiring of an officer until the second week of June to offset an overage in budgeted salary expenses.
General News on 05/25/2016