The Quorum Court of Van Buren County on an amended agenda adopted a tax levy ordinance with an emergency clause and approved multiple appropriation ordinances, a personnel-policy amendment to accommodate a sheriff's grant, and a resolution authorizing an engineering agreement for a grant-funded road project.

The measures matter because they set the county's tax levy for 2024, reassign remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) monies to an urgent roof repair at the county North Annex, allocate grant awards to two communities, and alter the personnel policy so the sheriff's office can meet grant wording requirements. The court also approved smaller budget transfers and an insurance-proceeds appropriation for the sheriff's vehicle fund.

Most items carried without extended debate. The court approved, by roll call, an appropriation of $43,000 into the Solid Waste Fund to reflect revenues above projection; adopted the tax levy ordinance by title only under an emergency clause; reauthorized the use of remaining LATCF and ARPA funds to pay part of a roof repair at the Van Buren County North Annex that serves the Children's Advocacy Alliance Center; and approved a personnel-policy amendment that adds a grant-provisions subsection intended to satisfy state or federal grant language for the sheriff's office. The court also accepted two competitive grants totaling $14,190.97 for local community projects and appropriated insurance proceeds of $19,767.76 into the sheriff's vehicle line after a total-loss claim for a 2020 Dodge Ram.

Several budget adjustments passed to move previously appropriated funds between line items (including a $20,000 transfer from part-time salaries to machinery and equipment). The court heard a brief explanation that clearing out LATCF and ARPA accounts now will avoid costly audit carryovers next year and that the roof bid for the North Annex partial repair was estimated in discussion at about $31,000, with ARPA/LATCF expected to cover roughly three-quarters of that figure.

A resolution authorizing the county judge to enter an agreement with McClellan Consulting Engineers Inc. of Little Rock, Arkansas, for engineering work associated with an Oiler Road grant was adopted by voice vote after staff confirmed the procurement process had been followed.

Votes at a glance (each item adopted unless otherwise noted):
- Ordinance O202444: Appropriation of $43,000 to solid waste fund (approved; roll call recorded as unanimous yes).
- Ordinance O202445: 2024 tax levy ordinance adopted by title with emergency clause (approved; roll call recorded as unanimous yes).
- Ordinance O202446: Emergency ordinance to reallocate LATCF and ARPA funds to pay toward roof repair at Van Buren County North Annex and to close out remaining LATCF/ARPA projects (approved; roll call recorded as unanimous yes).
- Ordinance O202447: Amendment transferring $20,000 from part-time salaries to machinery and equipment (approved; roll call recorded as unanimous yes).
- Ordinance O202448: Appropriation of $19,767.76 to the sheriff's vehicle line from insurance proceeds (approved; roll call recorded as unanimous yes).
- Ordinance O202449: Emergency amendment to county personnel policy adding a "grant provisions" subsection to satisfy grant language required by the sheriff's office (approved; roll call recorded as unanimous yes).
- Ordinance O202450: Appropriation of $7,000 to the All Red community project and $7,190.97 to the Scotland community project (total $14,190.97) from Arkansas Economic Development Commission grant awards (approved; roll call recorded as unanimous yes).
- Ordinance O202451: Appropriation into sheriff's budget for reimbursement from Fairfield Bay Police Department (amount recorded in agenda as $8,638.29; the ordinance text later recited a different figure; the transcript does not resolve that discrepancy) (approved; roll call recorded as unanimous yes).
- Resolution R202413: Authorize county judge to contract with McClellan Consulting Engineers for grant-required engineering assistance on Oiler Road (approved by voice vote).

Several motions were made to add the additional ordinances and the personnel item to the agenda at the start of the meeting; the court then voted to adopt the amended agenda and proceeded with the items. Where roll calls were recorded in the transcript, every named quorum court member present registered "yes." The transcript does not show any recorded "no" votes or abstentions on the adopted items.

Ending: Court members signaled intent to present a final budget at the December meeting after completion of the budget committee's work; no further action on the 2024 operating budget was taken beyond the appropriations listed above.