County comptroller fired; JPs express shock at news

Office recently came under scrutiny for budget error

FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County Comptroller Ashley Farber was fired Friday morning.

Farber said she was given a termination letter saying, in part, “the county” wanted to move the office in a different direction. Farber said no one told her why she was fired.

The comptroller handles the daily financial operations and budgeting of the county. Farber oversaw, in part, the process for the $68 million budget.

County Judge Joseph Wood, a Republican, oversees the Comptroller’s Office. Wood didn’t respond to questions sent to him and others via email Friday, but County Attorney Brian Lester said in email Farber’s firing is a “personnel matter and the county has no comment.”

Farber’s termination was effective immediately, according to the letter provided by Farber.

Lester didn’t release Farber’s letter or other documents related to her termination, but he said in email he will.

The Comptroller’s Office has come under scrutiny recently for an error in the budget about the county

attorney’s salary. Wood said earlier this year he wanted Lester’s pay to be more than it was listed in the 2018 budget, but the amount wasn’t put into the budget request last year. The Quorum Court plans to decide April 19 whether to give Lester an $8,600 pay raise to bring his annual salary to $79,000.

Farber was hired in July 2005 by County Judge Marilyn Edwards, a Democrat,

according to county records. She was promoted to comptroller in June 2016 after Cheryl Bolinger retired. Her salary was $64,707, according to the 2018 budget.

Justices of the peace said Friday the firing was unexpected.

“It’s a shock to me,” said Justice of the Peace Bill Ussery, a Republican representing northeastern Springdale and finance committee chairman.

Farber’s termination shouldn’t impede the budget process, which Ussery

has started. The Quorum Court must approve the 2019 budget in November or December.

Justice of the Peace Harvey Bowman, a Republican representing northern Springdale, said he heard “rumblings” the county judge didn’t like Farber taking initative for some projects. Bowman didn’t know any specifics and said he was surprised.

Farber is the latest longterm employee fired by Wood since he took office in 2017. Wood fired four employees and replaced them and hired

two employees for open positions. A Circuit Court judge is expected to make a decision soon on a lawsuit involving how Wood fired and hired those employees, attorneys in the case said this week.