Director’s
Desk
County Lines Magazine
County Lines is the official publication of the Association of Arkansas Counties. It is published quarterly. For advertising inquiries, subscriptions or other information relating to the magazine, please contact Christy L. Smith or Scott Perkins at 501.372.7550. Executive Director / Publisher Chris Villines Communications Director/ Managing Editor Scott Perkins Communications coordinator/ Editor Christy L. Smith
AAC Executive Board: Judy Beth Hutcherson – President Debbie Wise – Vice President Joe Gillenwater – Secretary-Treasurer Sherry Bell Debra Buckner Cindy Walker Brandon Ellison Andrea Billingsley Jimmy Hart John Montgomery Patrick Moore Rhonda Cole Sandra Cawyer David Thompson Bill Hollenbeck Angela Hill Debbie Cross National Association of Counties (NACo) Board Affiliations Judy Beth Hutcherson: NACo board member. She is the Clark County Treasurer and president of the AAC Board of Directors.
Debbie Wise: NACo board member. She is the Randolph County Circuit Clerk, vice president of the AAC Board of Directors and chair of AAC’s Legislative Committee.
Ted Harden: Finance & Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee. He serves on the Jefferson County Quorum Court.
Kasey Summerville: Finance, Pensions & Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee. She is the Clark County Assessor.
David Hudson: Vice Chair of NACo’s Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee. He is the Sebastian County Judge and member of the Rural Action Caucus Steering Committee.
Barry Hyde: Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee. He is the Pulaski County Judge.
COUNTY LINES, FALL 2016
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Director extends gratitude to many
Director’s Desk
H
enry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” To the countywide officials of Arkansas, you moved forward in grand fashion this fall and, with more than 70 percent of the vote, we passed a constitutional amendment that will give county officials four-year terms beginning with those sworn in Jan. 1, 2019. Chris Villines The Association of Arkansas Counties (AAC) board AAC of directors voted unanimously during the 90th General Executive Director Assembly to seek this amendment, and county officials alongside the AAC pushed for its inclusion as one of the three ballot issues referred by the legislature for vote in the 2016 general election. It was amended along the way to include provisions such as not requiring unopposed candidates to have names listed on the ballot, as well as a clarified definition of “infamous crime,” which disallows certain people from holding office. To be referred from the legislature, it took leadership in the form of several key legislators, and we want to take this time to thank Rep. Jack Ladyman (District 59) and Rep. Brandt Smith (District 58), along with Sen. Bryan King (District 5), for their help in keeping the joint resolution alive and ultimately securing its passage out of both chambers. There were countless others who helped along the way, such as Rep. Mark McElroy (District 11) who gave an impassioned speech from the house floor in support of the difficult job many of our county officials face. The 90th General Assembly adopted the resolution, almost in unanimity, and we want to thank all of our friends in the legislature for their hard work in giving the people of Arkansas the opportunity to vote for the measure. It is edifying to see the people of our state embrace Issue 1 with overwhelming support (70.22 percent). These results support the legislature’s decision to put the change before the populace. Once this issue was selected as one of those to appear on the ballot, state law precluded advocacy on the part of AAC. However, a ballot question committee was formed to help guide the issue, and we want to particularly thank the five members of the committee: Sheriff John Montgomery of Baxter County, Treasurer/Collector Debra Buckner from Pulaski County, Judge Jeff Arey from Saline County, Collector Stephanie Stanton from Jefferson County and Assessor Russell Hill from Washington County. These five individuals devoted much time and effort to the cause, and the county elected officials owe them a debt of gratitude for their hard work. I cannot stress enough the importance of four-year terms for the continuity of county government. For example, many county elected officials who were sworn in for the first time on Jan. 1, 2015, found themselves filing to run for office only ten months later in October of the same year. The idea that these officials have only ten months to build a resume, much less make a decision to continue in this capacity, is short sighted at best. What we need in county offices are people who think towards the future, people who plan instead of react, and four-year terms will make county government in our state better because it provides the environment we need to think long term. At two years, Arkansas had the shortest terms for county officials in our country, and this move will reduce the number of elections and save money for our people. >>> 7
