Snow takes District 7 seat on Benton County Quorum Court

BENTONVILLE — Jerry Snow of Bella Vista was sworn in as the District 7 Justice of the Peace at Benton County’s Finance Committee on Tuesday night.

Snow, a native of Scranton, was appointed to fill the position by Gov. Asa Hutchinson because Joel Jones, who was re-elected to the seat in November, moved out of the district that includes eastern Bella Vista and the area southeast toward Bentonville. The move was for personal reasons, Jones said.

Snow, 73, moved to Bella Vista from Russellville more than 20 years ago. He had a 17-year career with Sam’s Club and retired from Wal-Mart in 2009. Snow also has a background in law enforcement, having served with the Russellville Police Department and the Pope County Sheriff’s Office. He also was special investigator and trial case preparation specialist for the 5th Judicial District Prosecutor’s Office, according to a biography he provided.

Snow served two terms on Bella Vista’s City Council, but decided not to seek re-election in 2013.

Snow jumped right into his first meeting, asking a few questions as the two-hour session progressed.

“I enjoy the process, I enjoy politics and I enjoy working with people,” Snow said after the meeting. “I hope to be a benefit to the court and to the people of Benton

County. My philosophy in life is to keep moving.”

The proposed courts facility is the biggest issue the county faces right now, Snow said.

A special election for a one-eighth percent sales tax increase for a $30 million courthouse will be held March 12. The tax would be for 54 months if approved, according to documents. The county has approved a building design and site on Northeast Second Street in downtown Bentonville. The tax would equal 12.5 cents on every $100 in sales, County Judge Barry Moehring said. Another $5 million would be spent to update the current courthouse.

Moehring will hold a town hall about the issue at 6 p.m. today at Prairie Creek, 14432 Arkansas 12.

Jones was given a plaque by Moehring before the start of Tuesday night’s meeting as a show of appreciation for serving eight years on the Quorum Court.

“I’ve enjoyed serving,” Jones said. “I know I am leaving the county in good hands.”

There will be another opening on the Quorum Court when District 12 Justice of the Peace Adriane Carr leaves her position Feb. 28. Carr will move to McPherson, Kan., where her husband took a job late last year. District 12 includes parts of Siloam Springs, Gentry and some of western Benton County. Justices of the peace serve twoyear terms.

The Finance Committee also learned justices of the peace cannot be paid for liaison work, according to County Attorney George Spence.

The Quorum Court has liaison positions for the Association of Arkansas Counties, the Benton County Planning Board, the Job Evaluation and Salary Administration Program and the Road Department. There has been discussion to add a liaison with the Sheriff’s Office.

Spence cited Arkansas Code relating to “Compensation of township officers” in coming to his decision. The code says, in part, the “per

diem compensation for justices of the peace attending any official, regular, special or committee meeting of a quorum court shall be fixed by ordinance in each county.” The code continues, “per diem compensation is defined as a per calendar day allowance, exclusive of allowable expenses, which shall be paid to a justice for attending meetings of the county quorum court. This compensation shall be based on attending meetings of a quorum court during any single calendar day without regard to the duration of the meetings.”

“One could argue that attendance at an Association of Arkansas Counties meeting, a meeting of the Benton County Planning Board, or performance of liaison duties should be considered attendance at a special meeting of the quorum court. Perhaps it should. But under the law as it is currently adopted — I do not consider that argument to be convincing,” Spence wrote in information included in the Finance Committee packet.

Justice of the Peace Susan Anglin is the liaison to the Association of Arkansas

Counties. The county pays her mileage and expenses when she attends association meetings. That compensation is enough for her, she said.

“I’ve never considered a per diem for being a liaison,” she said. “We have enough compensation from our meetings.”

Quorum Court members are paid $237 for any Committee of the Whole and Quorum Court meetings they attend, and $148 for any Finance Committee they attend, according to information provided by comptroller Brenda Guenther.

Justice of the Peace Pat Adams, who serves as the Road Department liaison, also said he wasn’t bothered by not getting paid as a liaison.

“If you are a JP for the money, you shouldn’t be a JP,” he said. “You have to have a civic responsibility, and I do.”

The committee also heard monthly reports including overtime analysis, fuel analysis, sales tax revenue, jail collections, a convenience center update and a grant administrator report.