The Jefferson County Quorum Court Committee’s scheduled meeting on Tuesday was unable to take place due to the absence of several justices of the peace, resulting in a lack of quorum. 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 of the Peace 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 Judge Gerald 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.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“I must express my position regarding participation in meetings whose agendas have not been properly distributed through the county clerk’s office. As outlined in Jefferson County, Arkansas rules of procedural ordinance 25-8 Article III § D., proper agenda distribution is essential for maintaining transparency and adherence to our established procedures and protocols.”
Victorino’s statement references the ordinance, which was vetoed by Robinson and then overturned by the majority of the members, which mandates that it is the County Clerk’s responsibility to prepare the agenda and requires each agenda item to bear the name of the sponsoring justice of the peace .
Victorino urged all members to “honor the current rules of procedure moving forward,” to prevent delays and confusion, and to “ensure that we are effectively conducting county business without circumventing established protocols.”
Adding to the controversy, Justice of the Peace Ted Harden, who is the chair of the finance committee, expressed strong sentiments about the absences. “I feel like it was orchestrated, and them not showing up, it was intentional because they have their own agenda,” he said. “They did it on purpose so we couldn’t have a meeting. They are not going to abide by the rules.”
Harden also predicted potential legal action, saying, “It’s going to take some legal litigation to get this resolved, and I believe it’s forthcoming.”