The Jefferson County Quorum Court committee met Tuesday to discuss and vote on several appropriation ordinances and resolutions to pass on to the full Quorum Court, highlighting ongoing projects and financial matters within the county.
A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the Human Resource Committee’s report. Among the items on the agenda was an appropriation ordinance to reimburse funds for veteran services that sparked debate. As explained by Jefferson County Chief of Staff Rosetta Giddins, the ordinance is a reimbursement for funds that have already been received, but not yet authorized, to pay the employee to serve veterans in Jefferson County.
Justices of the peace questioned the term “reimbursement,” suggesting it’s not a reimbursement but a payment. Despite the discussion, the motion to approve the reimbursement passed and was sent to the finance committee.
Another contentious item involved a county employee as a vendor for catering services. Justice of the Peace Conley Byrd expressed strong reservations. “I’m not opposed to somebody paying him … but to pay it out of grant funds, that’s what I have a problem with,” he said, questioning if that’s illegal.
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Eric Walden, assistant chief of staff in the 6th Division Circuit Court, clarified the situation. “He is an employee of our office. However, he has a business on the side. They provided food for us at our annual Orange Day back in June, and that payment was processed, and it was paid to the county,” he said. He added that previous payments had gone through without issue, but the latest invoice was denied, leading to the need for Quorum Court approval.
It was explained that the invoices were denied because one can’t work for the county and also get paid for catering. Ultimately, this motion was tabled until further notice to allow for legal clarification. However, Walden presented new information, stating, “The Arkansas code of ethics says that a county employee can be paid as a vendor.”
The Judicial Committee also presented its report, with several appropriation ordinances passing and moving on to the finance committee. These included transfers of funds for victim witness services, the public defender’s office and circuit court automation.
A special-called meeting, followed by a full Quorum Court meeting, is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.