It would appear that the trade for a new Jefferson County Quorum Court member will not favor the county judge.
Danny Holcomb, a JP on the Quorum Court, resigned in January, with the reason given that he and his family had received threats during a contentious time for the Quorum Court when a budget impasse kept hundreds of county employees from being paid.
In the scheme of things, Holcomb was a fairly reliable vote for County Judge Gerald Robinson. The anti-Robinson side had seven votes while the pro side had six. That put Robinson at a disadvantage, but not to a great degree.
Then Holcomb was replaced by Richard Victorino. Both are Republicans, but Victorino, who was appointed by Gov. Sarah Sanders to fill Holcomb’s unexpired term, may not be so accommodating to Robinson.
In a letter that Victorino wrote and never mailed but showed to at least one state lawmaker, he asked the state House of Representatives to impeach Robinson. To say the least, it was a harshly written missive that said Robinson had “neglected his duties” and that lawmakers should take immediate action to remove the county judge from office.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“The delayed and inconsistent payment of salaries has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and financial instability, directly affecting the quality of services provided to the residents of Jefferson County,” Victorino wrote.
When asked by a reporter about the letter, which was given to the newspaper by another person who wished to remain unnamed, Victorino confirmed it was his but said it was written hastily and was not meant to be made public. He also said he had talked to the lawmaker who said the House would not likely take the drastic action to impeach Robinson but would take a more measured approach.
That all sounds familiar now, what with the new law requiring quorum courts and municipalities to keep using last year’s budget if officials are unable to pass a new budget for the next year.
It also sounds like Robinson has traded a fairly solid vote of support for someone who, at least at one point, took a very dim view of the county judge. If Victorino follows through on what might be his negative disposition toward Robinson, the county judge is going to find an even harder time keeping things headed in the direction he wants. And the going has hardly been easy for Robinson to this point.