Challengers square off for open District 3 seat

SPRINGDALE — Laurie Marshall, a Democrat, faces Republican candidate Sean Simons in the race for the District

3 seat on the Washington

County Quorum Court.

District 3 covers the northwestern part of Springdale. The justice of the peace for District 3, Derek Thomas, was appointed to fill a vacancy and cannot run for reelection.

Justices of the peace serve two-year terms. The Washington County Quorum Court is made up of eight Republicans and seven Democrats.

Justices of the peace are paid $200 per diem on days they attend Quorum Court or committee meetings.

Election Day is Nov. 3. Early voting begins Oct. 19 and runs through Nov. 2. A voter may request an absentee ballot application by contacting the county clerk in the county where the voter is registered, according to the Arkansas Secretary of State website. Voters may download the application from the county website.

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette emailed the same questions to the candidates. Their responses are below. Candidates were limited to 200 words per answer.

Question: Why did you decide to run for justice of the peace and what makes you the best candidate for the position?

Marshall: When I moved to Washington County thirty years ago, I was returning home. I started a family, built a career, earned a degree and enjoyed all the benefits that living in Northwest Arkansas provides. I also discovered during that time that I am passionate about service to others. From my volunteer roles as a board member, to my leadership positions in civic groups and my daughter’s National Guard Family Readiness Group, to my work as “room mom” in my son’s elementary school … I always seem to be raising my hand to help. As I was looking into how I could be more engaged in local government, a friend suggested I should attend Quorum Court meetings. It was at those meetings that I began to wonder who, exactly, the court really served. I spent one of the last three decades in Goshen, on property that was in my family for over 100 years, and 14 years in my current home in north Springdale. I believe my history in the county, my leadership experience in civic and volunteer organizations, and my commitment to transparent, collaborative and proactive governance will serve me well as a justice of the peace.

Simons: Through my career working at the Springdale Chamber of Commerce and now as a local business owner, I have seen the opportunities and obstacles that face our ever- growing region. I decided to run for JP because I want to keep NWA attractive to businesses of all sizes while still being a family friendly community. I want to keep taxes low, government small and job creation ever growing. My experience with the local business community, knowing the different agencies and departments that work together, will allow me to step in and continue moving the needle forward on great programs that are already in the works and be able to implement new programs and initiatives to increase efficiency and decrease redundancies in our county government.

Question: What area of county government are you most interested in and what specific plans or goals do you have in that area?

Simons: My focus has always been economic development and small business advocacy. I want to see Washington County continue to be the premiere standard of excellence for all metrics associated with job creation and economic growth! Business success is the lifeblood that feeds community development, nonprofit support, quality of life advancements, education, health care and housing. Services follow people, and people tend to reside near their jobs. I’d like to see Washington County be the best place to live, work and play in Arkansas. That starts by being an attractive prospect for businesses looking to move to or start up in Washington County.

Marshall: We must be proactive rather than reactive in all areas. Public safety, infrastructure, land use, environmental impact, housing … county leadership needs to think long-term, especially given the upcoming 2020 census report, to determine what a growing population is going to need not just next year, but in 10 years and 20 years. Short-sighted planning creates the need for bond issues and tax hikes, which none of us want. I will encourage a “metro area” mindset in our municipalities and counties. It is imperative that stakeholders work together to reduce cost, maximize effectiveness of land use and infrastructure improvements, and avoid duplicating efforts and therefore spending more taxpayer dollars. I am particularly interested in supporting and growing our current public transportation options and finding new ones to alleviate traffic issues in NWA. Plowing up field after field to lay more roads will only go so far and will ruin the natural beauty we are blessed with.

Question: County Treasurer Bobby Hill is projecting a drop of about $1 million in Washington County’s share of the revenue from the countywide 1% sales tax after the results of the 2020 census are in. How can the Quorum Court deal with that drop in revenue while maintaining services?

Marshall: Let me state up front that I am not an expert on the current Washington County budget. All of the 25 departments listed on the county website provide vital services to the community and deserve equal consideration in the budget planning process. I won’t pretend to know how best to balance one against another at this stage of my county experience, but I look forward to meeting with department heads individually to learn their present concerns and future plans. That said, I think any organization facing a shortfall must take a look at options like increasing the automation of services where possible and reducing duplication of efforts between departments. They also must consider the return on investment of any budget items that are not directly serving county residents. In the long term, as county revenues decrease in Washington and Benton counties and increase in the cities therein, there is also an opportunity, as I suggested earlier, of finding ways to collaborate and work together as a metro area to create budgets that reduce expenditures and guarantee programs are provided by the people and agencies that are best able to provide them.

Simons: I met with County Treasurer Bobby Hill and had a very in-depth conversation about the financial position of the county. Despite covid-19, Washington County is up approximately 6.7% year-to-date sales tax over last year. No doubt an indication of citizens choosing to support local businesses during the uncertainty of this pandemic. In addition, due to the five-year reappraisal of property taxes, the county is projected to be up approximately 6% in property tax revenue. These two factors should offset the expected drop in revenue. Fortunately, our growth will offset the projected drop in revenue from the 1% sales tax. However, I plan to work with the budget and finance committee to continue reviewing the budget for areas that can be streamlined and made more efficient. Washington County runs lean as is, but there are always areas that can be improved. The biggest expense in our county is personnel, and I believe that is an area that must be invested in. If we do not value our employees, they will take their talents and experience up the road to a neighboring county.

Question: The Quorum Court has been discussing an ongoing problem with crowding at the Washington County Detention Center. A study recently commissioned by the Quorum Court offers some recommendations on ways to address the problem. What do you think the county should do to better manage the population at the detention center?

Simons: As Washington County continues to grow in both development and population, crime has experienced an unfortunate growth. Thankfully, the Quorum Court leadership has already taken steps to investigate and analyze the current criminal justice system. I’m excited about the opportunity to step in and start utilizing the data to create new efficiencies and programs to improve our local process, which will benefit both the taxpayers, law enforcement agencies, the county jail, courts, various departments and those accused of crimes. Specifically, the creation of the proposed Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee as well as an information system overhaul designed to increase communication and transparency among agencies and departments. Also, pretrial resources and reentry services are areas that can and must be focused on to educate citizens navigating the criminal justice system and hopefully avoid recurrences.

Marshall: I’ve yet to read the report, but based on what I’ve observed, I believe the solution will require a continued multiprong approach. I won’t rule out an expansion of current facilities, but I’m not sure doubling the current bed number is necessary. Currently, there is a tendency for the courts to try to “teach a lesson” or “make examples” of individuals for failure to appear (FTA) incidences by raising bonds higher than they can ever hope to pay and scheduling court dates for months ahead. If the goal is to load up the beds, it’s working. If the goal is to teach lessons and make examples, a review of the number of individuals who continue to garner FTAs in Washington County courts proves it is not. I believe continued support of proven programs like the bail project and the Washington County jail ombudsman is vital. Also, we’ve seen a decline in incarcerations since March as inmates who were not deemed flight or public safety risks were released with electronic monitors to avoid the spread of covid-19. If that program has been successful, I would expect it to be continued to keep our bed counts manageable in the future.