DECATUR -- On Monday, March 20, members of the city council gathered together to review the $2 million in Arkansas Economic Development Commission funds the city received. The meeting's agenda would decide whether to give its treasurer authorization to open a new account to deposit the city's funds.
Present at the meeting were mayor Bob Tharp, recorder/treasurer Kim Wilkins, police chief Steve Grizzle, and council members Randy Boone, Sandy Duncan, Danny Harrington, Linda Martin and David Johnson.
According to Tharp, he went to the county courthouse and met with the comptroller of the county, who handed him a check for $2 million.
Now, the city needed to vote in order to give recorder/treasurer Wilkins authorization to deposit the check into the bank.
Tharp addressed the council members, saying, "Now we have a check for $2 million. And the choice was whether to leave it in the safe until the (April) 10th or gather you together and give Kim (Wilkins) authorization to open up a brand new account to start putting this money in and start collecting the interest on $2 million."
Soon the city will soon receive additional funds.
"And we're still waiting on the million that we will get from the state and that hasn't come in yet," Tharp said, "but we will be receiving that."
Residents will be happy to know that these funds will be used for the new Decatur West Water line expansion.
Members took a vote and approved giving Wilkins authorization to open a new special checking account to deposit the $2 million. Now, the city will collect interest on the funds before they are used for city projects.