JPs approve measure expressing support for 2nd Amendment

The Carroll County Quorum Court approved a resolution declaring the county to be “pro-Second Amendment” at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21, but the approval didn’t come without some opposition.

After the proposed resolution was read by its sponsor, District 4 Justice of the Peace Hunter Rivett, District 3 JP Harrie Farrow was sharply critical of the measure.

“I feel like this resolution politicizes our quorum court, rather than allowing us to focus on the issues that our county needs to address,” Farrow said. “I consider it kind of an abuse to our position to delve into unnecessary, contentious matters like this. By state law, quorum courts have no authority over gun ownership, gun control. And not only is it outside our purview, but it is kind of redundant. We all took oaths swearing our support to the Constitution of the United States. That includes all the amendments. So we are required to be a Second Amendment county, as well as a First Amendment county and all the other amendments.”

Farrow went on to cite statistics on gun violence in the United States, saying more than 40,000 people die in the U.S. each year because of gun violence.

After Farrow’s comments, there was no further discussion before JPs approved the resolution with 10 affirmative votes. Farrow voted “present.”

JPs also approved an appropriation ordinance earmarking $12,422 for law enforcement stipend grants for Carroll County Sheriff’s Office personnel. Act 224 of the Arkansas Legislature’s 2022 fiscal session authorizes a one-time payment of $5,000 to each eligible, fulltime law enforcement officer as described in the law. Funds for the stipends are appropriated by the state but the county is responsible for Social Security and retirement matching.

In other business, JPs;

• approved the appointment of Dr. Charles Horton to the Mercy Hospital Community Board of Directors;

• approved a resolution authorizing County Judge David Writer to enter into the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program on behalf of the Carroll County Historical Society in Berryville;

• approved a resolution authorizing Writer to enter into the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program;

• approved a supplemental appropriation ordinance appropriating $6,960 to the Office of Emergency Management for software for a mass emergency notification service;

• approved a supplemental appropriation ordinance appropriating $1,663.10 to replace a desktop computer in the county judge’s office;

• approved the first reading of an ordinance to establish a seasonal part-time position of no more than 90 days to train replacements for retiring employees; • approved an appropriation ordinance to appropriate funds to the assessor’s office;

• and approved an ordinance to add a full-time equipment operator to the road department, transfer funds and appropriate funds for the position.

During committee reports, District 11 JP John Howerton said the Judicial Planning Committee recently met with architects regarding the possibility of building a new Eastern District Courthouse. Howerton said the committee has has meetings scheduled with two more architectural firms and possibly another.

“It looks really promising to me,” Howerton said. “After digging a little bit, I kind of think this is going to happen.”

JPs also heard an update from Circuit Clerk Sara Huffman, who took office on Jan. 1.

Huffman told the quorum court that her office is fully staffed and that she is introducing two new programs.

The first of those is a criminal fine payment collection software.

“My goal is to show you guys and show the voters and everyone that the circuit clerk’s office is an income-producing office,” Huffman said, noting that there are approximately $700,000 in unpaid fines in the county’s western district alone. “There should be accountability for these people if they’re not paying. Right now there is no accountability. If they don’t pay, nothing happens.”

With the new program, Huffman said the county will have the option of having unpaid fines collected through the delinquent individuals’ income tax returns.

The second program Huffman is introducing is bank account manager software for the circuit clerk’s office.

“I’ve gone through previous audits and previous years, previous clerks,” she said. “I noticed pretty consistently that one of the things that we’re getting dinged on audit is our reconciliations. There hasn’t been a clear way to reconcile our bank accounts in the circuit clerk’s office. So I will be installing that program on my computer and it will allow me to type in checks and reconcile our bank accounts with our bank statements, and hopefully make (legislative audit) very happy.”

The quorum court’s next meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, in the courtroom of the Eastern District Courthouse in Berryville.