KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- After the ongoing debate between Adair County Sheriff Bob Hardwick and the Adair County Commissioners regarding how the money in the Countryside Fund should be allocated, many of you are left wondering...What is the Countryside Fund and where did the money come from?

The Countryside Fund originated in 1999 after the Countryside Residential Care Facility was dissolved. Former Adair County Presiding Commissioner Gary Jones said the late Joe March, who was the President of the facility and the Adair County Collector at the time, decided that the leftover money  from the facility should be given to the county to pay for the healthcare costs of indigent prisoners.

"He brought the money that they had in their treasury and gave it to the county and that money was supposed to be used to provide medical services for prisoners that couldn't afford it," said Jones.  "That's what it was at that time because it's supposed to be used only if we needed it for local prisoners."

The 1999 Judgment for the Dissolution of Countryside Residential Care, Inc, ordered by 2nd Circuit Judge Russell E. Steele states that the money should be used "to provide nursing and hospitalization care to indigent prisoners of Adair County or for any other purpose the County of Adair sees fit and allowed by Chapter 352 R.S.Mo. "

According to court documents, $83, 212.49 was then transferred to the county and became the Countryside Account.  Adair County Treasurer Lori Smith said the fund has a balance of $109,747.59 and is now being held in a money market account at Bank of Kirksville. She said it is earning 1.41 percent in interest.

During 2012 budget talks, Sheriff Hardwick asked Adair County Commissioners to allocate $45,000 from the Countryside Fund  to pay for indigent prisoner medical bills. That request was denied along with another request on April 5 from Sheriff Hardwick to use money in the account to pay for outstanding prisoner medical bills.

Sheriff Hardwick said an allocation of $5,000 from the Countryside Fund was used in 2002, 2003, and 2005 to pay for indigent healthcare. The allocations were before the Law Enforcement Sales Tax was created in 2008, to help supplement the Adair Count Sheriff's budget.  

Adair County Commissioners have stated that as long as Sheriff Hardwick has money in his reserve funds, they are not going to use the Countryside Account for indigent healthcare. Instead, they said they're going to save it for an emergency.    

Click here to view Countryside Residential Care Dissolution Papers 

Click here to view Legal Opinion of Countryside Fund