Quorum Court has special meeting today

A special called Quorum Court meeting will be held today to address the items vetoed by Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson. Dueling agendas seem to be at the forefront again — one from the county judge’s office and one from the county clerk’s office on behalf of the justices of the peace.

Robinson vetoed all ordinances passed during the July 17 Quorum Court meeting, saying that he felt they were unlawfully passed.

In a written statement to County Clerk Shawndra Taggart, Robinson said, “Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated 1414-905(d)(1)(A) and out of the abundance of caution, I hereby veto each and every ordinance purportedly passed at the July 17 meeting of the Quorum Court.”

According to the Arkansas Code, the veto of any ordinance of a general or permanent nature must be exercised within seven calendar days after passage by a quorum court.

Robinson gave his reasons for the veto in his statement.

“First, I am convinced that the procedure for adopting the ordinances was improper and thus these ordinances were not properly passed,” said Robinson, who said Arkansas Code Annotated 14-14-905(c)(1)(A) states, on the passage of every ordinance or amendment to an existing ordinance, the yeas and nays shall be called and recorded.

Robinson explained in his statement how the statutory provision proscribes passing numerous ordinances with one vote.

“That is because the vote on each ordinance must be separately called and recorded. But that did not happen at the July 17, 2023 meeting,” said Robinson. “Additionally, Arkansas Code Annotated 14-14-905(2)(A) requires that “[a]ll ordinances … of a general or permanent nature shall be fully and distinctly read on three different days unless two-thirds of the members composing the court shall dispense with the rule.”

According to Robinson, twothirds of the Quorum Court did not dispense with this rule.

“To do so, a separate vote to dispense with the rule was required for each ordinance prior to a vote on the ordinance,” he said.

“Such a vote never occurred with respect to any separate ordinance. Based on the procedural irregularities, I believe that no ordinance was properly passed at the July 17, 2023, meeting.

“I cannot approve ordinances that were not properly passed.”

Robinson also said that the meeting confused the Quorum Court members with no clarity and that he was not provided copies of the subject ordinances.

During last week’s Quorum Court committee meeting, Justice of the Peace Lloyd Franklin Jr. admitted that he and the Quorum Court members passed agenda items incorrectly without reading the title.

Franklin wanted to reapply all of those ordinances to the current agenda, which county attorney Terry Wynne said he could not do.

“If you override his veto, you got ordinances that are inappropriate,” said Wynne.

“All you’re doing is reinstating an act that was in violation of the law.”

Both agendas for today’s special called meeting list some of the same appropriation ordinances with the exception of a few, but according to Robinson, the meeting will be conducted from the agenda from his office.

“They have submitted an agenda with no attachments and no ordinances, so how are the justices supposed to know what they are voting for and if the language of the ordinances has changed?” said Robinson.

“Once you veto something it has to go back through committee. The process has to start over.”

According to Robinson, the agenda from the county clerk’s office does not reflect the latter.

The meeting will be held today at 5:30 p.m. at the Jefferson County Courthouse.