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Seven Jefferson County Quorum Court members, chaired by Justice of the Peace Reginald Johnson, gathered for another meeting Wednesday night to discuss a proposed 2025 budget.
Jefferson County is facing a deepening budget crisis that has left employees unpaid and essential services at risk. The issue is a contentious budget proposed by County Judge Gerald Robinson. This budget has been met with strong opposition because of significant cuts to various departments, including the sheriff’s office.
Robinson has said that several significant raises were handed out by department heads last year — raises that he has said were illegal — and those increases have been excluded in his proposed budget. He was not present at the Wednesday night meeting.
Employees have expressed outrage over the proposed pay cuts, with some facing a reduction of up to $25,000.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
During the meeting, Larry Gragg, a local pastor and former county employee with the sheriff’s office, questioned Robinson’s foresight in not having a budget prepared before the end of 2024. Gragg also accused Robinson of past mismanagement, citing issues with the budget dating back to 2007.
“A lot of the issues with the budget started way back” during Robinson’s tenure as sheriff, Gragg said.
Gragg’s sentiments were echoed by other members of the public, who voiced their disapproval of the proposed budget cuts and accused Robinson of prioritizing his own interests over the needs of the county.
The meeting was further complicated by the absence of five JPs, whose presence was necessary for a budget vote. Those JPs included Patricia Royal Johnson, Ted Harden, Roy Agee, Dr. Conley Byrd and Jimmy Fisher. This absence drew strong criticism from those present who accused the missing justices of neglecting their duties and disregarding the needs of county employees.
The dividing line between those present and those absent fell along ideological lines. The meeting itself was called by those in opposition to Robinson and they attended the special meeting, while those who were absent support Robinson.
Seven JPs are needed to conduct a meeting, but nine votes are needed to suspend the rules and move an appropriation ordinance to the third reading.
Another special called Quorum Court meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Justice Reginald Adams expressed his frustration with the lack of cooperation from other JPs.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re more serious than us,” Adams said. He emphasized the need for the JPs to “come together and fix this.”
Justice Margarette Williams voiced her concerns about the impact of the proposed budget cuts on essential services, particularly education, the nurse’s pay cut and drug rehabilitation programs. She questioned how her colleagues could “vote for a budget that’s going to “lay off 50-some-odd people in the sheriff’s department.”
The JPs present said they felt the other JPs did not thoroughly examine the budget proposed by Robinson.
JP Cedric Jackson emphasized the importance of the JPs working together to find a solution and ensure that county employees are paid — something that hasn’t happened throughout the month of January. Jackson said it is up to the JPs and not Robinson because Robinson doesn’t have a vote.
“A lot of people are in a bad situation,” he said.
Former JP Lloyd Franklin II expressed his anger and disappointment over the budget crisis, given the chance to speak at the end of the meeting. He called for the absent JPs to take action and fulfill their duties and criticized them for not attending the meeting.
Franklin called for them to either come to the table or resign. He also suggested that legal action might be necessary to ensure that county employees are paid.
“Come here, do your job, or step down and get out of the way,” he said.