Editor’s note: This is the first part of a series.
The contest for justice of the peace positions in Jefferson County is in full swing, featuring incumbents and challengers across the voting districts.
Those who filed to run for Quorum Court in the March 3 election include:
District 1 — Alfred Carroll Sr. (incumbent), Deshaun Eans and Jacqueline Tillmon
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
District 2 — Reginald Adams (incumbent), Leo Smith
District 3 — Reginald Johnson (incumbent), Joseph O’Neal III
District 4 — Patricia Johnson (incumbent), Oscar Bullard Jr.
District 5 — Jimmy Fisher Sr. (incumbent), Ivan Whitfield
District 6 — Tim Morris, Randy Green, Glen Brown
District 7 — Melanie Johnson-Dumas (incumbent)
District 8 — Roy Agee (incumbent), David Dinwiddie
District 9 — Cedric Jackson (incumbent), George Barnes
District 10 — Conley Byrd Jr. (incumbent), Greg Moody
District 11 — Tina Butler, Jerry Lawrence Jr.
District 12 — Ted Harden (incumbent)
District 13 — Brenda Bishop-Gaddy (incumbent), Sherman Ferguson
All candidates are on the Democrat ticket except for Morris, Agee, Byrd, Lawrence and Harden. Morris is running as an independent, and the latter four are Republicans.
To aid constituents in selecting their local representatives, a set of questions was posed to the candidates. The responses from those who formally participated are presented in alphabetical order by name.
The first set of questions covers budgets, fiscal oversight checks and balances:
1. Given the recent budget stalemate that left county employees unpaid and services stalled, what is your plan for ensuring the Quorum Court can pass a balanced budget that protects essential services and employee pay?
2. How would you foster productive working relationships with the county judge and other justices to avoid future stalemates?
3. Some members have accused the county judge of retaliatory actions when budgets and priorities were challenged. How do you view the Quorum Court’s role as a check on executive authority, and what steps would you take to promote accountability and avoid abuse of power?
4. What reforms, if any, would you support to improve transparency in budget amendments, committee formations, and the agenda-setting process?
OSCAR BULLARD
1. A balanced budget is a responsibility, not an option. If elected, I will emphasize early preparation, disciplined review, and open communication well before budget deadlines. Protecting employee pay and essential services must remain a shared priority. I support a working relationship with the county judge and other justices to pass a balanced budget that protects all employees of Jefferson County.
2. Productive working relationships require respect, professionalism, and consistent communication. I believe disagreements can be resolved constructively when leaders focus on solutions rather than personalities. I will work collaboratively with the county judge and my fellow justices to maintain open dialogue, seek common ground early and keep the focus on what is best for Jefferson County.
3. The Quorum Court serves as the legislative body and safeguard of responsible governance. Its role is to provide oversight through thoughtful review, clear policy, and lawful decision-making. Accountability is most effective when it is structured, transparent, and rooted in established procedures rather than personal conflict.
4. I support reforms that improve transparency by ensuring clear documentation of budget amendments, advance notice of agenda items and consistent committee processes. Public access to information will strengthen trust among residents of Jefferson County.
TINA BUTLER
1. All employees should be paid in a timely manner. No employee should go unpaid for the time they have worked. The elected officials submit their budgets for their office, and the Quorum Court votes or amends those budgets that were submitted by the elected officials. The main thing that I believe can help this process is to start that process three to four months early. I believe this process should start in September so that the budget is ready and approved before Jan. 1.
2. There should not be two meetings. I believe there should be one meeting and that all justices and judges should attend all meetings and work together as a legislative body for the citizens of Jefferson County.
3. The rules of government accounting always have checks and balances. The elected officials submit budgets because they are the most knowledgeable of their office. The Quorum Court’s role is legislative. The Quorum Court either approves or amends the budget. The county judge approves the claims by signature. The county clerk processes the payments. Accountability is in place to avoid abuse of power.
4. The agenda should be provided to everyone, in my opinion, at least three days before the meeting. There should not be two agendas. There should be only one agenda for the Quorum Court. The committees should be a representation of the legislative body as a whole. Any justice can present legislation to amend the budget by increasing or decreasing the appropriation to the budget.
ALFRED CARROLL
1. The budget development process starts in September for the upcoming year. County ordinance and state statute govern the beginning dates and the passage of the next year’s budget. However, there are no well establish set times for interim meetings between all interested parties to facilitate the process of budget development. I would work to establish set times and meeting intervals that allow for better data gathering and a better managed process, possibly under Arkansas Code Annotated 14-14-904, look at hiring additional personnel to better coordinate the process, and encourage strict adherence to the state statutes governing the process.
2. I will encourage all parties to follow the law, participate in the development of a new procedural ordinance, and practice parliamentary decorum as well as seek community stakeholders to sponsor bi-annual Chat ‘n’ Chew events for Jefferson County elected officials.
3. I would encourage Quorum Court members to stay abreast of the daily functions, expenditures, actions and inactions of the county judge’s office, enact appropriate legislation, vote accordingly and identify common challenges, opportunities for improvement and projects that can be jointly supported. I will treat all vested stakeholders with respect.
4. Because the current committee system has been such a source of contention, I would recommend eliminating all current committees. Establish by ordinance, consistent with state law, a process for organizing special committees for special projects as needed. These committees would select their individual chairperson, have the responsibility to report their findings on a given item in the form of a Do Pass Vote, Do Pass Vote with Recommendations, or forward the item on to the Quorum Court with a No Recommendation Vote.
Items to appear on the agenda would be voted on during the agenda review and formation meeting, held on the Tuesday before the Quorum Court meeting. Currently, agenda preparation should remain in the clerk’s office, which serves by state statute as the secretariat to the Quorum Court and where the position of the Quorum Court’s legislative assistant is housed.
Finally, the titles for ordinances and resolutions must give a more complete intent of the proposed legislation, including dollar amounts.
Responses from four other candidates will be published in the next part.
