County officials split on budget, to revisit today

Some want questions answered

FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County’s justices of the peace failed to approve the county’s 2021 budget Monday in a special meeting called just to discuss the budget.

The Quorum Court vote on the budget ordinance ended with eight justices of the peace voting to pass the budget and seven against. The ordinance requires 10 affirmative votes to be approved on a first reading.

Voting in favor of the budget ordinance were: Lance Johnson, justice of the peace for District 1, Susan Cunningham, justice of the peace for District 2, Derek Thomas, justice of the peace for District 3, Patrick Deakins, justice of the peace for District 5, Lisa Ecke, justice of the peace for District 6, Sam Duncan, justice of the peace for District 7, Ann Harbison, justice of the peace for District 14 and Butch Pond, justice of the peace for District 15.

Voting against the budget ordinance were: Judith Yanez, justice of the peace for District 4, Shawndra Washington, justice of the peace for District 8, Eva Madison, justice of the peace for District 9, Andrea Jenkins, justice of the peace for District 10, Sue Madison, justice of the peace for District 12, and Willie Leming, justice of the peace for District 13.

County Attorney Brian Lester said the ordinance was on its first reading Monday because it had been amended after the county’s regular Quorum Court meeting on Dec. 17. A motion to suspend the rules and move the ordinance to a second reading at Monday’s meeting failed by a vote of 9-6 against the motion.

Lester said immediately after the meeting that County Judge Joseph Wood would call another special meeting for noon today and an email notice of that meeting time was sent out at 6: 38 p. m. Monday. A provision in state law requires two days notice of special Quorum Court meetings and Lester said later that the Tuesday meeting will be rescheduled for 8 p.m. today. Another special meeting has been called for 8 a.m. Wednesday, which will be held only if needed, Lester said.

Lester said the Quorum Court will need to muster 10 votes in favor of the budget ordinance at today’s meeting to advance it to a third and final reading at that meeting. If the ordinance goes to a third and final reading at a separate meeting on Wednesday, only eight votes are needed to approve it under state law, Lester said.

Harbison, chairwoman of the county’s Finance and Budget Committee, implored the justices of the peace to approve the budget at Monday’s meeting. She said only three budgets — the Sheriff’s Office budget, the Assessors Office budget and the Coroner’s Office budget — had been increased.

“It’s almost identical to the 2020 budget,” Harbison said. “We need to move on.”

Ecke said the justices of the peace should have pursued answers to question on their own — calling, emailing or visiting with county officials in person.

“Nothing prevented any JP from going through the budget,” Ecke said. “There were opportunities. It was our responsibility to go through the budget line by line.”

Other justices of the peace said they still have questions they want answered, want more information then they have been given and want changes in the county budget process.

“As elected officials, we should be able to ask our questions in public,” Eva Madison said. “We are elected to do the public’s work and that should take place in public, not on the second floor or on the fifth floor of the Courthouse.”

The County Judge’s offices are on the fifth floor of the Courthouse and several county elected officials have offices on the second floor.

Leming said he still wants information on the Road Department budget and on the department’s operations, including a road work plan for the future.

Leming said county roads are the biggest concern among his constituents.

“I think the Road Department has an open checkbook and it needs to be closed down a little bit,” Leming said. “They need to bid things out like they’re supposed to and the county doesn’t need to agree to contracts and then expect us to approve them.”

“My biggest concern for District 13 is our dirt roads,” Leming said “I have the second longest amount of dirt

roads of all the JP districts. The Road Department has a $10.4 million budget and I can’t get my dirt roads graded like they need to be and it chaps my behind.”

Leming said he expects the Quorum Court will approve a budget for 2021. He said he plans to insist on changes in the budget process next year.

“We need to have all the elected officials and all the department heads come down here, lay their budget out on the table and let’s go over it,” Leming said. “Come to the courthouse and lay it out and talk to us. That’s the fair way to do it. I believe it’s fair for us to talk to everyone about every nickel we can spend or save.”

“As elected officials, we should be able to ask our questions in public.” — Eva Madison, justice of the peace for District 9