Future Of Detention Center Unknown
By: Shelli Briery
Updated: March 20, 2007
Miller County officials are now crunching numbers, trying to figure out where funding will come from to keep the Lantz Lurry Juvenile Detention Center open.
There is not enough revenue to pay its employees and operational costs for the rest of the year. There is just over 300,000 dollars available to budget and that is not enough, thats why the center is only safe for the next three months.
Quorum Court member, Ernest Pender says in the 90s, when the center came to fruition the City made a interlocal agreement with the county to split operational costs. Last year the City decided it would no longer make the payments.
Now the Quorum Court realizes Lantz Lurry cant operate without the extra funding.
"We need the citys money, they agreed to it. The agreement can be enforced but we dont want to go that far we would like for the city to work with us."
The city owes the county more than 400,00 dollars and officials are ready to see some money.
Pender says he and Miller County Judge Roy John McNatt have talked with the Arkansas side mayor about the funding in hopes of coming up with agreement.
