Local News
As the budget fails to pass once more, the Jefferson County shutdown extends into the third week
Pine Bluff, Arkansas – In order to present County Judge Gerald Robinson’s recently updated budget to the entire quorum court, Jefferson County held a budget and finance committee meeting Monday night.
The chair, Justice of the Peace Ted Harden of District #12, broke the tie and sent the budget to the full quorum court.
The conversation started as soon as the full quorum court meeting was convened.
In order to pass this newly updated budget tonight, Robinson stated that the changes were a compromise between his original proposed budget and some of the requests made by the sheriff, justices of the peace, and other departments.
Margarette Williams, the Justice of the Peace for District #6, stated, “I believe we are all aware that there are two budgets.”
The judge acknowledged receiving the request to add the supplementary budget to the agenda, but he chose not to do so because it had already been vetoed and the decision had not been overturned.
It is obvious that your office is inexperienced; this needs to be stated in public. “These cuts and these numbers demonstrate it,” said Reginald Johnson, the Justice of the Peace for District #3.
“What does that say about you?” Robinson asked. “I wanted you to send it, but you thought I wouldn’t, so we wouldn’t look at it, the very same budget that’s been vetoed, very same.”
At that point, Kyle Hunter, the county prosecutor, intervened to provide legal counsel.
“Make a motion to suspend the rules, bypass the committee to move it to the third reading, and take up that other budget if you want to consider that other budget,” Hunter stated.
Williams was given a second after making the gestures.
Terry Wynne, the hired Jefferson County lawyer, was not in agreement.
Wynne declared, “You cannot re-present the vetoed budget.”
The freshly amended budget failed, the judge asked for a vote, and the meeting was adjourned shortly after the disagreement.
A second special meeting to examine the budget has not yet been scheduled.
Many people are angry that they will continue to be paid and that the county administration is still closed.
While many justices of the peace claim they have heard the opposite, the judge claims he has had numerous calls from people who want the budget passed so they can be compensated.
Lloyd Franklin, a former justice of the peace, prepared a document outlining the adjustments the sheriff’s department would have to make if the judge’s recently amended budget were approved.
Franklin claimed that even though the Sheriff’s Department received more funding in the updated budget than in the original one, it was still insufficient.
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