The unit is charged with identifying and pursuing deadbeat parents in Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard and Stone counties. Hively's contract requires that the unit pay its expenses, then submit bills to the state for reimbursement. The state reimburses two-thirds of most costs. The unit's largest single expense is for legal services. Warner has done most of that work.
Records show Hively got the rest.
Until this year, the unit wrote its checks to Hively. Starting on Jan. 30, the unit made them payable to Hively's Batesville law firm, Hively and Ketz. The law firm, in turn, wrote checks to Hively. But the unit, since January, has been reporting that it paid Warner. McDonald met with Hively and Warner on Friday at the state office.