The Jefferson County Quorum Court remains at a legislative standstill.
After a contentious hour of gavel banging by County Judge Gerald Robinson and justices of the peace trying to explain their sides to each other and Robinson, the Quorum Court again failed to pass procedural ordinance with an 8-4 vote. Justice of the Peace Danny Holcomb did not attend Monday’s meeting.
Last week, the court’s Human Resources Committee met for less than 10 minutes to consider two procedural ordinances. One was a 19-page amendment with decorum rules and the other a three-page version without decorum rules. The simplified version passed with a 4-3 vote but failed Monday night when the full court met.
This battle over procedure has led to a severe fissure between various factions of justices of the peace and Robinson that began in January when he presented his version of a policy and procedure ordinance. Because of this, the quorum court cannot function.
Amendments to that ordinance was then drafted by the Judicial Committee. Justice of the Peace Lloyd Franklin Jr., along with nine other justices of the peace helped compose amendments to the ordinance. Then the committee was restructured.
The jockeying for power was evident Monday night as Robinson took issue with anyone who questioned him especially Franklin and JP Alfred Carroll.
At one point, Robinson said, “I can only assume this is a vote against Gerald Robinson.”
Robinson also said he was in charge of the meeting. Several justices of the peace refuted that.
Jefferson County Attorney Terry Wynne said the amended version has errors and offered to sit down with anyone to discuss the errors. Last week, he sent his opinion to Carroll about the errors. Wynne said the offer still stands to discuss his opinion.
Wynne, too, has been under fire by some of the justices of the peace. In March, Franklin sent a letter to the Association of Arkansas Counties, the court members expressed “no confidence” in Wynne. In poll documents, eight justices of the peace voted they had no confidence, three voted that they had confidence while two did not reply.
On Monday night, Franklin said four JPs who voted against the amended ordinance last week, including JP Roy Agee, were biased. Agee took issue with the accusation.
“I think of myself as a fair man,” Agee said.
The justices of the peace continued lobbing arguments and questions for an hour in a standing-room only meeting room often talking over each other while Robinson hit his gavel for order.
Franklin often referred to the Arkansas Association of Counties and its procedures and laws for county judges and justices of the peace. Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr., attended the meeting along with several deputies. Woods recently said the quorum court is trying to reclaim the power that has eroded over the years more so under Robinson than previous county judges.
Robinson insisted several times on calling a vote Monday night for the procedural ordinance often interrupting justices of the peace to push a vote. When the vote failed, Robinson abruptly adjourned the meeting.
The drama is far from over.
The attempt to establish rules of procedure that determine the manner in which the quorum court should govern itself has been a “long and arduous process,” Franklin said.
“In doing so, we as a super majority of Justices of the Peace, the legislative branch of county government, are simply trying to uphold the principles of democracy and move away from a dictatorship style of government at the hands of Judge Robinson,” Franklin said.
While a power struggle appears apparent, Franklin said no.
“This is not about a struggle for power, but about establishing a boundary line between the legislative and executive branch of county government in order to establish clear separation of powers that has always existed per the Arkansas constitution,” he said. “Our aim has and always will be to ensure a system that promotes accountability, transparency, and effective governance, while respecting the autonomy and responsibilities of each branch.”
