District 4 incumbent has unfinished business

FAYETTEVILLE — A Democrat is challenging Republican incumbent Bill Ussery to represent District 4 on the Washington County Quorum Court. District 4 encompasses northeast Springdale.

Judith Yanez filed to run against Ussery. Yanez said Sept. 18 that she hadn’t started campaigning for the position and did not wish to talk that day. Yanez hasn’t returned a call and voice mail left Oct. 9.

Ussery is serving his third term as justice of the peace and is the chairman of the budget committee.

“I am running because I have a lot of unfinished

business and want to bring the budget into alignment,” he said. “I want to continue on focusing on balancing the budget. I want to follow it through.”

After the Quorum Court meeting Oct. 9, Ussery said the county’s requested expenditures as the budget process begins exceed anticipated revenue by $4 million to $5 million. That doesn’t take into consideration money the elected officials and department heads will turn back to the general fund at the end of the year, he said.

Ussery hasn’t seen any county department overspending, he said, but has encouraged every department to be more efficient in an effort to reduce the budget.

“In Washington County, we are blessed with some great department heads,” he said. “We lead the state in so many areas, and I am very grateful for that and it makes my job as budget chair so much easier.”

One area that needs more money is the crowded county jail, Ussery said, and it might take a tax increase.

“I would support a millage increase because of the tremendous growth in Northwest Arkansas and, unfortunately, with more people comes more crime. We have 20 to 30 percent more people visiting the jail than four years ago,” he said. “There’s no question that eventually we are going to have to add on to it. We don’t have a choice. It might take a slight tax increase. I’m in that process of figuring it out.”

Justices of the peace serve two-year terms and are paid $200 per meeting.

The election is Nov. 6. Early voting begins Oct. 22.