With no dissent, the Jefferson County Quorum Court on Monday approved a resolution declaring a vacancy in the county’s legislative body, clearing the way for the governor to name a replacement.
The vacancy resulted from the death of Justice of the Peace Cleddie Shock, and who ever is appointed will finish out Shock’s term, which expires Dec. 31.
Democrat Verdell Baker and Republican Roy Agee Sr., have filed for the position, and the winner of that race in November will take office Jan. 1.
Also Monday, the Quorum Court approved a supplemental appropriation of $16,461.27 for the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office.
County Clerk Patricia Royal Johnson said the funds were needed to cover costs associated with redistricting and were not included in the 2012 budget.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Specifically, Johnson said $5,211.27 was spent on supplies, and another $11,250 for postage to mail out $37,350 new voter registration cards, notifying county residents of their new voting precinct, ward, and polling place.
A $66,000 grant which the county received from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission for an emergency generator for the Watson Chapel Water District was put into a new fund to pay for the generator.
Also Monday, the county’s legislative body approved an ordinance to transfer $4,748.87 that was carried over from the 2011 budget for rural fire protection to the 2012 budget. That money was generated from the one cent public safety sales tax.
Karen Quarles, coordinator of the county’s Office of Emergency Management, said that the county Mutual Aid Association, which is composed of volunteer fire departments, voted in March to use that money to purchase canteen supplies, specifically ice chests, water and Gatorade to be used when fighting fires.
Resolutions reappointing the Rev. Glenn Barnes Sr., and Eugene Hunt to five year terms on the board of the Economic Development Corporation of Jefferson County were approved as was a resolution reappointing Sandra Boone to a five-year term on the Jefferson County 9-1-1 Administrative Board.