Independence County Vendor Relationships
The following vendors and contractors have been identified through FOIA responses to date. This list is not exhaustive; it reflects vendors visible in January 2026 AP expenditure reports and related FOIA documents.
| Vendor | Service | Known Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Owens Law Firm, P.A. (Conway, AR) | Outside legal counsel | $220/hr (partner), $80/hr (associate) | Invoice via FOIA, Feb 2026 |
| Daniel Haney | County Attorney | $2,001.33/month ($24,016/year) | Jan 2026 AP report (FOIA, Feb 17, 2026) |
| American Fidelity Assurance | Employee benefits | — | Jan 2026 AP report |
| Kallsnick Inc | Janitorial services | — | Jan 2026 AP report |
| Southern Tire Mart | Vehicle maintenance | — | Jan 2026 AP report |
| Brightspeed | Internet services | — | Jan 2026 AP report |
| City Electric Supply | Electrical supplies | — | Jan 2026 AP report |
| Divcodata | Postage services | $13,098.96 (Jan 2026) | Jan 2026 AP report |
| The Courier | Advertising / public notices | $1,646.75 (Jan 2026) | Jan 2026 AP report |
| First Community Bank | Banking services | — | Jan 2026 AP report |
Contract amounts and terms for most vendors are not yet confirmed. Additional FOIA requests may be needed to obtain formal contracts and retainer agreements. Last updated: Feb 17, 2026.
City of Batesville Vendor Relationships
Year-Over-Year Top Vendor Comparison (2024 vs 2025)
The following table compares the city’s largest vendors across 2024 and 2025. Both years verified against official Vendor History Reports obtained via FOIA.
| Vendor | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOLM Group, Inc. | $2,242,142.78 | $22,765,086.33 | +$20,522,944 (+915%) |
| Clark Contractors, LLC | $0 | $5,863,273.00 | New vendor in 2025 |
| Olsson | $2,226,732.39 | $1,738,034.23 | -$488,698 (-22%) |
| AR Municipal Equipment | $2,067.80 | $1,579,066.46 | +$1,576,999 (+76,267%) |
| Entergy | $1,322,970.09 | $1,548,146.75 | +$225,177 (+17%) |
| Bad Boy Mowers | $1,224,175.16 | $15,413.71 | -$1,208,761 (-99%) |
| Wagner General Contractors | $934,002.90 | $115,825.15 | -$818,178 (-88%) |
| Taggart Architects | $845,250.00 | $252,746.90 | -$592,503 (-70%) |
| ACS Playground Adventures | $0 | $505,830.00 | New vendor in 2025 |
| American Ramp Company | $0 | $500,000.00 | New vendor in 2025 |
| La Croix Precision Optics | $0 | $356,631.00 | New vendor in 2025 |
Source: City of Batesville Vendor History Reports: 2024 (FOIA Feb 17, 2026, 702 vendors, $34,332,408.89) and 2025 (FOIA Feb 24, 2026, 700 vendors, $59,678,026.67)
2024 Top 25 Vendors (Baseline Year)
The following table shows the City of Batesville’s top 25 vendors by total payments in 2024. Data covers January 1 through December 31, 2024.
| Rank | Vendor | 2024 Total | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TOLM Group, Inc. | $2,242,142.78 | Water Treatment Plant construction |
| 2 | Olsson | $2,226,732.39 | Engineering services |
| 3 | Entergy | $1,322,970.09 | Electric utility |
| 4 | Bad Boy Mowers | $1,224,175.16 | Equipment purchases |
| 5 | Wagner General Contractors | $934,002.90 | Construction |
| 6 | Taggart Architects (2 vendor IDs) | $845,250.00 | Architectural services |
| 7 | Independence County Circuit Clerk | $610,372.50 | VFW condemnation deposit |
| 8 | Waste Connections | $591,898.08 | Waste management |
| 9 | FCV Fouts Commercial Vehicles | $578,068.11 | Vehicle purchases |
| 10 | Independence County Abstract | $530,607.64 | Title/abstract services |
| 11 | White River Electrical Co-op | $475,000.00 | Electric utility |
| 12 | Centerpoint Energy | $425,000.00 | Gas utility |
| 13 | Chamber of Commerce | $247,962.00 | Economic development, membership |
| 14 | SWEPCO | $235,000.00 | Electric utility |
| 15 | Independence County Treasurer | $195,000.00 | Purpose not disclosed |
| 16 | Municipal League of Arkansas | $185,000.00 | Membership, training |
| 17 | Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield | $165,000.00 | Employee health insurance |
| 18 | Frost PLLC | $119,371.14 | Accounting/CPA services |
| 19 | Verizon Wireless | $95,000.00 | Telecommunications |
| 20 | AT&T | $85,000.00 | Telecommunications |
| 21 | Friday, Eldredge & Clark | $77,000.00 | Legal services (replaced in 2025) |
| 22 | Delta Dental of Arkansas | $55,000.00 | Employee dental insurance |
| 23 | Arkansas Municipal Police Assoc. | $45,000.00 | Police professional organization |
| 24 | Office Depot | $42,000.00 | Office supplies |
| 25 | Sysco Food Services | $38,500.00 | Food services (likely jail) |
Note: Amounts for vendors ranked 11-25 are approximations based on vendor report analysis. Top 10 amounts are verified exact figures.
Source: City of Batesville Vendor History Report 2024 (FOIA response from Jessica Davis, City Clerk, Feb 17, 2026)
Key Observations
- TOLM Group Explosion: Top city vendor both years. Jumped from $2.24M (2024) to $22.77M (2025), a 915% increase driven by Water Treatment Plant construction
- Clark Contractors: New vendor in 2025, immediately became #2 at $5.86M. No 2024 payments on record
- AR Municipal Equipment: From $2,068 in 2024 to $1.58M in 2025, a 76,267% increase
- VFW Condemnation: $610,372.50 to Circuit Clerk (2024 deposit) plus $268,750 final settlement to VFW Post #4501 (July 2025). Total condemnation cost: $882,547+
- Bad Boy Mowers: Dropped from $1.22M (2024) to $15,414 (2025), a 99% decrease
- Law Firm Change: City switched from Friday, Eldredge & Clark ($77K in 2024) to Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt ($74,366 in 2025)
- Overall Growth: City spending increased 73.8% year-over-year, from $34.33M (702 vendors) to $59.68M (700 vendors)
Coverage: 2024: 640 pages, 702 vendors, $34,332,408.89 (01/01/2024 through 12/31/2024). 2025: 782 pages, 700 vendors, $59,678,026.67 (01/01/2025 through 12/31/2025).
Source: City of Batesville Vendor History Reports (FOIA responses from Jessica Davis, City Clerk: 2024 report received Feb 17, 2026; 2025 report received Feb 24, 2026). Documents available in The Vault.