Finance Committee votes to support HIV clinic; adds funding to budget
Posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2008
BENTONVILLE - The Benton County Finance Committee voted during its meeting Tuesday to add a $ 34, 000 allocation to the Washington County HIV Clinic to the county's 2009 annual budget.
That money would supply the clinic with enough money to hire an administrator for one year. Justice of the Peace Beverly Williams, who visited the shelter on the county's behalf, said during that year, the clinic will form a committee tasked with finding alternative sources of funding, including examining the possibility of seeking 501 (c ) 3 status for the clinic.
Williams told the committee that Benton County has an interest in the clinic because of the number of Benton County residents using the clinic. Benton County residents make up 37 percent of the clinic's patients.
"They have patients there from every district in Benton County," Williams said. "They have 10 from Bella Vista, if you can believe that."
She said the clinic's preventative efforts also make it worthwhile.
"If a woman is pregnant and she has HIV, they immediately send this woman and put her on medicine, and that baby is protected," she said.
Between six and 12 pregnant women go to the clinic each year, Williams said.
She said the clinic is exploring the possibility of becoming a 501 (c ) 3 nonprofit or creating a support organization, a "friends of the clinic"nonprofit, among other options. Without nonprofit status, the clinic's grant funds are largely limited to start-up money.
The committee voted 4-2 to include the allocation on the 2009 budget, with Justices Debra Hobbs and Marge Wolf voting against it.
Wolf, however, said she was also voting for the allocation.
"I'm going to vote for it because the court wants to support this, but I don't think we should be giving money, as wonderful as this organization is, to a group that can't support themselves," she said.
Only the opposition vote officially counted.
The committee also voted to put a salary increase for elected officials into the 2009 budget.
The county officials are currently earning between 88 and 91 percent of the state-mandated maximum salary, according to numbers presented by County Treasurer Deanna Ratcliffe. Her proposal, which was narrowly approved, brought all of the elected officials to 95 percent of the state limit.
The increase would cost the county $ 14, 422. 20, Ratcliffe reported. Justices' salaries were not included in the proposal.
Ratcliffe told the committee that Saline, Sebastian and Washington counties already pay higher rates for most or all officials, even though they have smaller populations.
The Benton County officials'last salary increase came in 2003.
Hobbs and Justice Tim Summers objected to the raise, saying it was too much for these troubled economic times.
"(The residents ) don't understand this kind of increase right now," Hobbs said.
Hobbs proposed a smaller increase that could be increased later.
Justice Bob Stephenson said there would never be a good time to increase wages. Wolf said the committee had to "bite the bullet"and approve the increases.
Williams abstained from voting, as her husband, Bill Williams, is the Democratic candidate for county judge. Without her vote, the measure passed 3-2.
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