Process begins to replace JP Ginger
Justices of the peace on the Jefferson County Judicial Committee on Tuesday forwarded a resolution to the full Quorum Court to declare a vacancy on the court, which will clear the way for Gov. Asa Hutchinson to name a replacement for member Herman Ginger, who died July 24.
Ginger, 78, an optometrist in Pine Bluff for nearly 50 years, was the District 6 justice of the peace and had served on the Quorum Court since 2002. He was hospitalized July 9, suffering from covid-19, County Judge Gerald Robinson told the Quorum Court.
The 13-member Quorum Court is the governing body of the county.
Ginger served as chairman of the Finance Committee and the Public Safety/Emergency Services Committee. He also was on the Community Development and Grants Committee and Solid Waste/ Recycling Committee.
The full Quorum Court will consider the resolution at Monday night’s regular meeting.
If it’s ratified, it will be up to the governor to name Ginger’s replacement.
Justice Patricia Royal Johnson, who is also chairman of the Democratic Central Committee in Jefferson County, said Ginger’s term was to expire Dec. 31, but because he was unopposed for re-election, he would have begun a new two-year term Jan. 1. Johnson said his replacement will serve through Dec. 31, 2022.
“The Democratic Central Committee will forward a recommendation to the Democratic Party of Arkansas,” Johnson said.
“The Democratic Party of Arkansas will forward that name to the governor and the governor will formally make the appointment. Hopefully, we’ll have someone there within a couple of weeks or so.”
Robinson said that regardless of who is appointed, Ginger’s 18 years of experience will be hard to replace, and he said his absence will be felt for a long time.
“That institutional knowledge, it means a lot, and it meant a lot to me,” Robinson said. “Dr. Ginger and I talked two or three times a week on different issues, on how we wanted to move the county forward, his passion for it, and he is just going to be missed.”