Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Bollinger to run for justice of the peace seat
BENTONVILLE — Joseph Bollinger will again run for a seat on the Benton County Quorum Court, this time as a Republican.
Bollinger, 36, of Bella Vista will run for the District 7 position. Republican Doug Farner of Bella Vista also has announced he’s candidate for the seat held by Jerry Snow of Bella Vista. Snow was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson earlier this year and is unable to seek the seat.
Bollinger ran for District 7 in the November general election as a Libertarian. He came in third place behind Republican incumbent Joel Jones and Democrat Matthew Kezhaya. Jones moved out of the district after winning re-election.
Bollinger has lived in Benton County for 33 years and in District 7 for five years, according to a news release. He’s systems engineer for Decision Science in Rogers and a small business owner.
He is chairman of the Benton County Young Republicans and is active in the county party’s outreach committee, according to the release. He also led a community grassroots campaign to defeat the courthouse sales tax increase in March, according to the release, and he led a community fundraiser to help those affected by the Bella Vista stump dump fire.
“Because of my background in engineering, I am able to see different solutions for our county’s problems,” he said. “I knew that there was a cheaper, more fiscally conservative solution to the courthouse. I consulted experts on the matter and communicated the issue to the voters.
“The county recently voted unanimously to go forward with a conservative option that I was fighting for all along. An option that doesn’t increase our already too burdensome tax rate and won’t cause us deficit spending,” he said in the release.
Justices of the peace serve two-year terms. The primary election is March 3 and the general election is Nov. 3, 2020.
Quorum Court members are paid $237 for each Committee of the Whole meeting and Quorum Court meeting they attend, and $148 for each meeting of another committee they serve on, according to county documents.