Carroll County Council met in executive session May 22 for approximately one hour to discuss potential litigation and then for ten minutes to approve an agreement with Carroll County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Smith and Circuit Court Judge Donald Currie, to avoid a mandate. The agreement, proposed last week and adopted with minor wording changes Thursday night, was to restore in part budget reductions made by the council in April to both courts and the joint courts line items. The agreement was negotiated for the council by local attorney James Huffer.

Council members approved a resolution to thank Huffer for his effort, which resulted in no litigation with the judges and came at no legal expenses to the county for his services.

Council president Nancy S. Cripe noted that a loan repayment from the state of $689,011 was to be received by the county. She said it was important for the council to direct where the balance of the repayment, yet unknown, was to be held.

Ann Brown agreed with Cripe. She said the council learned the county received a loan payment in 2007 but said council members were unaware of the receipt of the funds.

"We never knew," she said. "The auditor should make us aware of that."

"This year we are being told by notice of the government of the repayment," she added. "Now we have the option to decide on how it will be used."

"We (the council) should be making that decision," she concluded.

The next council meeting will be May 29 at 8:30 a.m.