Ozark Council Fails To Raise Mayor’s Spending Limit

by Vernon Mc Daniel

After about 25 minutes of discussion Aug. 11 on Mayor Roxie Hall’s request to raise her $10,000 spending limit, neither the mayor nor any City Council member called for a vote.

Hall said she recently had to call a special session to pay an $11,000-plus bill for maintenance on the therapy pool.

“I’m on the executive committee of the Arkansas Municipal League, and I am embarrassed to tell the other mayors how low my spending limit is,” Mayor Hall said.

According to the mayor, Paris allows its mayor to spend $20,000 without council approval and Clarksville, $25,000. Ozark has a population larger than Paris but smaller than Clarksville.

Alderman Charles Meeker told Hall that, in his opinion, the majority of Ozark citizens want her spending level left where it is. Some even want it reduced, Meeker added.

The mayor then moved on without asking if a vote was wanted.

Kimbrough Building

Work is under way toward repairing the downtown Kimbrough building, which the city may acquire through court action.

Hall said the old bookstore, next to the Kimbrough building, has been sold and the new owner has 30 days to begin rehabilitating it.

Police Chief Devin Bramlett told the Council five Ozark properties are in violation of city ordinances, and City Attorney Kevin Barham said he is in the process of filing criminal summonses against the owners…The full story appears in the Aug. 20 edition of The Graphic, found online and in businesses throughout Johnson and Franklin counties.