Craighead County Officials Approve Tax Back For TeleTech

The mission of a company that opened a call center in Jonesboro last fall has connected in a very big way, a company official told Craighead County justices Monday night.

The Craighead County Quorum Court approved a resolution to allow TeleTech to participate in the Tax Back program during a meeting at the Craighead County Courthouse annex.

The program allows companies to use the refunds of local sales taxes to do things like add equipment and make building renovations.

While James Jeune, an executive director at the Jonesboro location, did not discuss specifics on what the refunds would be used for, he did say the company has grown exponentially since moving into a location on Caraway Road.

However, Tony Thomas, administrative assistant to Craighead County Judge Ed Hill, said the refunds could help with equipment and infrastructure needs for the business.

When the company opened in September, nearly 100 people had already been hired to work at the center.

Jeune said the facility has nearly 400 employees now, up from an estimated 300 expected by the end of 2014.

Nearly three-quarters of the customers at the Jonesboro location are in the healthcare field, Jeune told justices.

When asked about specifics, he also said the company could likely provide millions in investments at the Jonesboro location.

“It is definitely significant,” Jeune said.

ELECTIONS
Justices also received an update Monday from a county election official about the county not being reimbursed by the state for several election cycles.

“There is one word for it – embarrassing,” Finance Committee chairman Ken Stacks said of the lack of billing he said was not done by former election coordinator Sandra Taylor.

Taylor resigned Feb. 13 after reports of nearly $90,000 was not billed for elections, going back as far as 2008.

Taylor’s resignation was accepted during an election commission meeting.

“I feel this is best to ensure the credibility of the elections process in Craighead County is never questioned,” Taylor told content partner KAIT, Ch. 8. “Due to the changes in the past year, I also feel this position now requires more time than I am able to commit.”

Craighead County Election Commission chairman Jeanette Robertson told justices that the commission has been working since Feb. 13 to get an accurate accounting of the billing issues.

Robertson said the paperwork for a 2013 special election and runoff for a state senate race, as well as a 2014 special election for the race, have not been submitted.

There are also questions about school board elections from 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014 as well as several annexation votes in Brookland, Caraway and Monette over the past several years, Robertson told justices.

The commission will be meeting Tuesday afternoon in Jonesboro to go over the issue further, Robertson said, noting plans are in place to update record keeping practices for billing as well as using technology to send out notices to commission members when a deadline is approaching.

Stacks said his committee plans to scrutinize county spending issues further this year.

“We will be looking at it and other issues,” Stacks said. “This is what our committee does. And for those of you who don’t want to do it, I’d suggest that you get a waiver from the County Judge (to transfer off the committee).”