City will declare Jerry Jones Day

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is getting recognition from the North Little Rock City Council for his recent induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A resolution expected to fly through the City Council “with a great deal of pride” today, according to the legislation, will formally congratulate Jones for his induction into the Hall of Fame at Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 5.

The resolution says Jones, who grew up in North Little Rock and graduated from North Little Rock High School, has been a “long-time friend and benefactor” to the city. Specifically, it mentions his “support of outreach programs for local children, including the highly successful Police Athletic League.”

The resolution will also retroactively designate Aug. 3 as Jerry Jones Day in the city.

The legislation may double as an apology of sorts from the city.

Jones’ support of North Little Rock Police Department officers, mainly for their work with the volunteer Police Athletic League, included inviting officers and their families to go to a Cowboys game last fall with all expenses paid. The offer resulted in an ethics complaint against Jones and the city.

The state Ethics Commission, in a 3-2 vote in May, found Jones had committed “an unintentional violation” for his gift and issued him a warning letter. The basis for the violation, according to the commission, was an “erroneous conclusion” in an Oct. 24 resolution by the City Council that accepted the gifts and subsequently passed them along to the officers as an employee benefit.