Competing agendas will be the focus of Monday’s Jefferson County Quorum Court meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Both the county judge and the county clerk have submitted distinct agendas, each outlining different matters for consideration. Justice of the Peace Alfred Carroll Sr. chaired the meeting in the absence of Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson.
Robinson proposes a transfer of $445,185.83 within the road department. This agenda item involves shifting funds from salaries, Social Security, and retirement budgets to cover expenses related to vehicles, lease principal, and interest.
The agenda items from the county clerk’s office include a vote to override Robinson’s veto and an appropriation to establish bonus pay for county employees.
Last week, the Quorum Court Committee’s scheduled meeting was unable to take place due to the absence of several justices of the peace.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Only justices of the peace Ted Harden, Dr. Conley Byrd, Patricia Royal-Johnson and Margarette Williams were present — an insufficient number to meet the required majority to conduct official business.
In a follow-up phone call, one of the absentees, Justice Alfred Carroll Sr., said attending would be to confirm some of the stands taken by the current administration.
“We are in a situation where meetings are being called by the county judge,” he said, referring to Robinson, who was also absent due to a judge’s conference he was attending.
“The county judge has not reformed the committees with the new procedural ordinance that was passed. The language states that the committees select their chairperson, but he has left the committees as they are, contrary to the new procedural ordinance that was passed.”
Carroll further added, “To be a part of that would suggest that he is correct. … I didn’t show up because I didn’t want to subject myself to things that were unnecessary and improper.”
Justice of the Peace Rick Victorino emphasized the importance of adhering to established procedures in an email expressing his position regarding participation in meetings whose agendas have not been properly distributed through the county clerk’s office.
A meeting of the Jefferson County Quorum Court held by the majority of the quorum court on Thursday descended into chaos as justices grappled with procedural complexities and debated the merits of employee bonuses and budget transfers.
The primary debate centered around an appropriation ordinance intended to provide bonuses to county employees.
The ordinance proposed $1,000 bonuses for full-time employees and $500 for part-time employees employed on or before Feb. 10, 2025.
The ordinance also included a transfer of $293,524.25 to various departments.
However, the process of voting on the ordinance became convoluted.
There was debate over whether to suspend the rules and read the ordinance by title only or in its entirety.
There was then a motion to suspend the rules and move the appropriation ordinance to its third and final reading by title only.
The vote count to suspend the rules and read by title only was six yays, five nays.
Opposed were Reginald Adams, Roy Agee, Melanie Dumas, Brenda Bishop Gaddy, and Reginald Johnson.
A motion was made to rescind the vote, which passed unanimously, taking the ordinance back to its second reading.
Another motion was made to suspend the rules and read it by title only and move to the third reading.
The motion would require nine votes. Many justices of the peace doubted that they would get nine votes.
“If we move it to the third and final reading, it will require nine votes to pass because it is an appropriation,” said Carroll.
“If we suspend the rules, move it to its final reading, and don’t get nine votes, it does not pass.”
A substitute motion was then made to read the ordinance in its entirety on the second reading, which passed.
According to Carroll, the ordinance has to be read three times on three different dates.
After the reading, Carroll acknowledged the potential lack of votes. “With the numbers that we have here tonight, my first impression was that it’ll be 11 people here. … Nine people would have voted to give our county employees these bonuses,” he said.
“I’m a little bit disappointed myself personally and that it appeared that we did not have those nine votes around the table.”
All justices of the peace were present except Byrd and Williams.