Select members of the Jefferson County Quorum Court have called for a meeting tonight Thursday January 23,2025.
Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson statement in regards to that meeting is below
Justices this meeting is without my consent, 14-14-904 in Judge Wright’s ruling recites the law, that you cannot meet with more than a Quorum without the judges consent. We also have a procedural ordinance in place. That outlines the agenda comes from my office, which this one that you scheduled to meet on does not! Also you are still presenting a budget that has been Vetoed and failed to override by the Quorum court. Also this budget has not been approved by the Budget and Finance committee. It is still evident that what is presented contains illegal raises given by each constitutional office, except 6th Division and my office. There’s also unauthorized slots added to a number of offices. One in the County Clerk’s office, especially a legislative clerk, which is already in my office. I will schedule a meeting in the very near future to address the budget!
Soon after Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney S.Kyle Hunter issued this statement on the proposed meeting below.
I want everyone to be clear about the law regarding calling Special Meetings of the Quorum Court. Ark Code Section 14-14-904(c) states that the County Judge or a majority of the elected justices may call a special meeting of the Quorum Court.
Judge Robinson is confusing committee meetings with Quorum Court meetings. Ark Code Section 14-14-904(d)(2)(B) refers to regular and special committee meetings not consisting of more than a quorum of the full body without the consent of the county judge. The meeting called for tomorrow night is a full Quorum Court meeting and not a committee meeting. Therefore, the calling of the Special Quorum Court meeting does not require his consent.
Regarding Judge Wright’s ruling, he found that there was never a Procedural Ordinance passed in 2023 or 2024, therefore, everything done by the Quorum Court during those two years was not done correctly. He further specifically found that the attempt to pass a Procedural Ordinance by seven members of the court was not properly enacted. However, because a Procedural Ordinance is now in place, any budget passed for 2025 by the Quorum Court will be legal even if it contains items and appropriations from the last two years.
Deltaplexnews will be at the meeting with a facebook live stream and will report what happens at the meeting.