TEXARKANA, Ark. - With high prospects of landing a multimillion-dollar manufacturing plant in the county before year's end, the Miller County Quorum Court agreed Monday to unleash a tidal wave of extra money.
The court agreed to add $235,000 to the $15,000 already there in order to show the county's sincerity in bringing a prospective manufacturing plant to the county.
The combined $250,000 will be available to show other land investors the county's keen interest in helping buy the land needed to further entice a plant to locate in the county, said Jimmy Cowart, the county's Economic Development Committee Chairman.
The $250,000 will be just the first step of a continued likewise over a five-year period, bringing the county's total contribution to $1.25 million.
"This will give us a chance to have something in our county that we have never seen before," said Ernest Pender the county Budget and Fiancee Committee chairman. "This is possibly the best thing that could happen in Miller County and we want to do our part make this happen. It could bring in a lot of jobs."
With what has been described as the "opportunity of a lifetime," Miller County's Budget and Finance Committee will likely recommend that the county contributes $1.25 million over five years to potentially land a manufacturing plant. We have this money set aside and it shows that we are in it for the long haul."
Last week, committee members agreed to recommend to the full Quorum Court that the Court commit to contributing $250,000 a year for the next five years to help buy and secure the land for the plant's location.
Presently, two parcels of land in the county are under consideration, but officials declined to specify the parcels' locations.
Committee member John Haltom said that while he favors the financial move 100%, he added that there are still many county employees who have yet to receive pay increases.
"I'm all for this plant, but we need to make sure to make a dedicated effort to give raises to all the employees that haven't received them yet," Haltom said.
Pender said the committee will continue to look long and hard throughout the early part of this year for money that could possibly be used to address wages.