State VA says judge can fire officer

Official says fired Veterans Service officer served ‘at the pleasure of the county judge’

Little River County Judge Mike Cranford was within his rights when he recently terminated Veteran Service Officer James Oden, according an official with the state Veteran Affairs office.

Arkansas county judges have the authority to “hire and fire” veteran affairs officers, said Sarah Jones, public affairs director of the Arkansas Department of Veteran Affairs.

“The veteran affairs officers serve at the pleasure of the county judge who can hire and fire the officer,” Jones said.

Oden and Cranford have disagreed over the relocation of the veterans office in the county courthouse in Ashdown.

The dispute resulted in Cranford firing Oden on April 6.

Oden was hired in November 2013 and worked 20 hours a week at a pay of $9.61 per hour, according to Little River County Clerk Deanna Sivley, who maintains the county pay records.

The state veteran affairs office contributes a stipend for the county to use for salaries, equipment, such as computers or anything needed in the office, Jones said.

In 2016, the county received $3,022.12 from the state agency. So far in 2017, the county has

received $708.92.

Oden filed for unemployment benefits Monday.

The turmoil started with the plan where Little River County moved some offices, including the veterans office, from the ground floor of a nearby annex to the second floor of its 110-year-old courthouse.

Oden is worried the second-floor location will deter access to some veterans because they will not be able to navigate the stairs. He also said shared access space will not allow the privacy necessary for Oden and some vets to talk about sensitive matters. He said veterans with emotional problems, for example, need a place to talk in private.

Oden said he has been calling state officials about the situation and pressing Cranford to find more suitable accommodations for his office, but to no avail. Instead he was fired.

Cranford declined to comment about the termination because it is a personnel issue.

Cranford has not started advertising for a new veteran affairs officer.

“I’m working with the state veterans office to secure the right candidate. Then we will start taking applications,” Cranford said.

The move from the annex building to the upstairs office was instigated after the county signed a lease to receive about $30,000 annually in rent from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Existing USDA offices were closed because of the growth of black mold in the building on U.S. Highway 71 in north Ashdown. For the past six months, Ashdown USDA employees have commuted to Nashville, Ark.

The federal agency was willing to pay rent, Cranford said. But accommodating the change requires the relocating of the veterans office, the state police trooper’s office, Office of Emergency Management and the circuit judge’s office.

Some of the agencies at the annex have been operating rent-free, Cranford said.

The rental revenue will help the county to pay the heating and air-conditioning bills, cleaning the building and the building insurance, Cranford said.

Cranford, who uses a wheelchair, said locating the veteran affairs office upstairs will be inconvenient for some veterans with physical disabilities, but accommodations will be made for the veterans who cannot climb the stairs.

The courthouse has no elevator.

Little River County, Ark., veterans, who need help until a new veteran affairs officer is hired, can contact the officer in Hope, Ark., according to Cranford.

During the vacancy, veterans who need assistance can contact District Veteran Service Officer Jim Williams.

He is located at 205 Smith Road Suite A, Hope, AR 71801. The telephone number is 1-870826-4899.

The office hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday.

Email james.w.williams@arkansas.gov. The website is also available at http://www.veterans.arkansas.gov.