Lack of quorum halts committee meeting
The Jefferson County Quorum Court Committee meeting could not be held on Tuesday as scheduled due to a lack of a quorum. Out of the 13 elected officials, in attendance were Justices of the Peace Cedric Jackson, Ted Harden, Dr. Conley Byrd, Patricia Johnson, Brenda Gaddy and Danny Holcomb.
To establish a quorum, a majority of the whole number of justices composing a quorum court shall constitute a quorum and is necessary to conduct any legislative affairs of the county.
According to Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson, who said the JPs stood out in the hallway, the committee meeting will be rescheduled for Monday before the Quorum Court meeting.
The county judge, the presiding officer over the Quorum Court without a vote but with the power of veto, used that power to veto appropriation ordinances passed by the majority of the JPs during their special-called meetings on Nov. 20 and 21.
According to a letter from Robinson on Nov. 28, he stated the agendas for both meetings included an appropriation ordinance to transfer funds, a vote to approve the tax rates for 2023 to be collected in 2024, an appropriation for Christmas bonuses and other appropriation ordinances where only eight justices attended the meetings.
“The main reason for this veto is the failure of the Quorum Court to follow Arkansas law regarding notice of special meetings,” said Robinson in his letter. “… (I)n the absence of procedural rules, the county judge or a majority of the elected justices may call a special meeting of the quorum court upon written notification of all members not less than two calendar days prior to the calendar day fixes
for the time of the meeting.”
According to Robinson, that did not happen. “The special meetings were not valid and any business conducted at them is null and void,” he said. “Because the meetings were improper, the ordinances were not validly passed.”
Robinson also explained that because only eight justices were in attendance, they fell short of the twothirds mark.
In response to the veto, JP Lloyd Franklin Jr. said Robinson prematurely announced bonuses for county employees without due regard for the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches.
“This announcement was made prior to any review of budgets to assess the fiscal feasibility of such a measure,” said Franklin. “Subsequently, Judge Robinson’s actions were driven by an attempt to influence the Quorum Court to appropriate additional funds from county reserves for departments directly under his purview, despite a prior vote against the appropriations due to his unwillingness to provide sufficient information for the request.”
Franklin said in response to this situation, a majority of the JPs, by a majority vote, supported the idea of considering bonuses for county employees. Following the statutory notice
requirements per A.C.A. § 14-14-904(c), three separate special-called meetings were convened.
“Several pieces of legislation were adopted, including the appropriation ordinance for Christmas bonuses and an agenda item by County Assessor Gloria Tilman to vote to accept 2023 tax rates to be collected in 2024,” Franklin said. “It is essential to emphasize that these actions were taken in accordance with the provisions of A.C.A. § 14-14-905, which allows for the passage of appropriation ordinances by less than a two-thirds majority if read on three different days.”
According to Franklin, Robinson chose to veto the ordinances one day short of approval of the ordinances being ratified.
“Judge Robinson’s veto underscores the political nature of his previous suggestion of bonuses without equitable information sharing and fiscal responsibility,” said Franklin. “His tactics aimed to combine the appropriation ordinance for Christmas bonuses with other previously rejected items favored by him, compelling a vote for all or none of the proposed agenda items.”
The agenda from the county judge’s office for the upcoming committee meeting will address the items vetoed by Robinson, including the Christmas bonuses for county employees. Also on the agenda is an appropriation ordinance to approve the 2024 county budget.