Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Officials face learning curve after swearing-in ceremonies
Women JPs now majority on county Quorum Court
FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County’s new and returning elected officials agreed Wednesday there will be much to learn as they take office.
Countywide elected officials and justices of the peace, along with some city officials, were sworn in at two ceremonies at the courthouse. The Democratic Party women elected to the Quorum Court staged their own event Wednesday afternoon.
“We decided to do this because it’s fun, because there are seven Democratic women,” Eva Madison, justice of the peace for District 9 in Fayetteville, told the group crowded into Circuit Judge Joanna Taylor’s courtroom. “We’ve gone from four Democrats to seven, all women. There are nine women on the Quorum Court now, a majority.”
Andrea Jenkins, newly elected justice of the peace for District 10, which covers Farmington and southwest Fayetteville, said right after taking the oath of office that she was “thrilled to be working with this group of JPs, Republicans and Democrats alike.”
Jenkins said she expected to do a lot of learning, and she pointed to issues such as crowded conditions in the county jail, rural roads and constituent service as being among her interests.
Suki Highers is the newly elected justice of the peace for District 11, which is downtown Fayetteville.
“Right now, I just want to learn as much as I can about the budget and budget issues,” Highers said. She added the county’s animal services will also draw her interest, as will the county jail and the proposed crisis stabilization unit meant to divert people with mental health problems away from incarceration.
Susan Cunningham, a Republican elected to represent District 2 in Springdale, echoed the idea that the new justices of the peace have much to learn. The county will have nine new justices of the peace on the 15-member Quorum Court.
“I’m just here to learn as much as I can and be a good representative for my district,” Cunningham said.
Lisa Ecke, a Republican, is starting her third term on the Quorum Court representing District 6, which covers parts of Fayetteville and Springdale. Ecke said she hopes to mentor and encourage new justices of the peace and work with all of the members of the Quorum Court on issues including the jail, pay for the Sheriff’s Office and other county employees and the crisis stabilization unit. Ecke said she would like to see work on a regional jail and other multi-county issues.
“Is it possible to pull together and build a regional facility? Just because it’s never been done doesn’t mean it can’t be done,” Ecke said. “Are we willing to be progressive and find ways to save the taxpayers’ money?”
Sheriff Tim Helder is entering his eighth term in office and said this new Quorum Court will have more new members than any he has worked with. Helder said with recent changes in state law giving countywide officials four-year terms he wants to work on long-term issues such as improved training and finding a solution to overcrowding at the jail.
Helder acknowledged he will have to start from scratch to educate the new justices of the peace about jail conditions and his proposed expansion.
“It’s always interesting, working with new people,” Helder said. “I’m a people person. I’m looking forward to that interaction.”
The Quorum Court has scheduled an organizational meeting at 5 p.m. Jan. 8 in the Quorum Court meeting room at the County Courthouse.