FORMER TODD COUNTY SHERIFF BILLY STOKES WILL BE SUED BY FISCAL COURT FOR MISAPROPRIATED FUNDS AFTER UNANIMOUS ACTION BY MAGISTRATES THIS MORNING.

            OFFICIALS WERE ONCE AGAIN QUICK TO POINT OUT THE FORMER SHERIFF DIDN’T POCKET THE MONEY, HE ONLY SPENT IT IN THE WRONG PLACES SUCH AS PAYING PENALTIES FOR PASSED DUE BALANCES.

            STOKES SUPPORTER IRIS JONES SPOKE DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT MEETING AND PLEADED WITH THE COURT TO LET THE MATTER GO AND TO NOT PURSUE THE MISAPROPRIATED 11-THOUSAND 769 DOLLARS CITED IN A 2009 AUDIT.

            AFTER A LENGTHY CLOSED SESSION, ALMOST EVERY MAGISTRATE SPOKE ON HOW DIFFICULT THE DECISION WAS, BUT SAID STATE LAW LEFT THEM WITH NO CHOICE OTHER THAN TO PURSUE THE FUNDS IN COURT.

            TODD COUNTY ATTORNEY HAROLD “MAC” JOHNS WILL NOW FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST STOKES AND HIS BONDING COMPANY IN CIRCUIT COURT—A MOVE HE SAYS COULD COME AS SOON AS MONDAY.

            STOKES WIFE, TERRY “SISSY” STOKES, WAS INTERVIEWED AFTER THE MEETING AND BLAMED THE PREVIOUS FISCAL COURT FOR NOT FUNDING THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SUFFICIENTLY ENOUGH TO PAY TAXES AND OTHER BILLS ON TIME.

            MS. STOKES ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE FORMER SHERIFF DIDN’T RECEIVE HIS OWN SALARY AT TIMES DURING HIS ONE TERM.

            IN OTHER ACTION, COURT APPROVED KEEPING THE “REAL PROPERTY” TAX RATE AT 9.9 CENTS PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE, WHILE THE PERSONAL PROPERTY RATE WILL DROP FROM 10.99 CENTS TO 10.77 CENTS PER 100 DOLLARS OF VALUE DUE TO INCREASED ASSESSMENTS.

            JUDGE-EXECUTIVE DARRYL GREENFIELD SAID THE COUNTY IS WORKING HARD TO OPERATE EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE AND THAT HELPED THE COURT TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO RAISE RATES THIS YEAR.

            ROAD DEPARTMENT SUPERINTENDENT EDDIE MITCHELL TOLD THE COURT ABOUT A RECENT ACT OF VERY DANGEROUS VANDALISM, WHERE SOMEONE USED A CHAIN SAW TO CUT A LARGE TREE DOWN ACROSS THE PEA RIDGE ROAD LATE TUESDAY NIGHT.

            MITCHELL SAID THE TREE WAS NEAR A CURVE AND HILL AND SOMEONE COULD HAVE EASILY RUN INTO IT BEFORE KNOWING IT WAS THERE.

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08/26/2011/AM