🟧 JP COGER’S WASHINGTON COUNTY UPDATE 1/25/26

Beth Coger
Jan 25
5 min read

Updated: Jan 27

Transparency • Accountability • Fiscal Responsibility - We have to do better.

📅 Week of: January 25, 2026 📍 Washington County, Arkansas

🔎 As of publication, no county meetings are posted. I will update if that changes.

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🏘️ LAND USE & ZONING WATCH

📅 Thursday, 2/12/26, immediately following the 5:00 PM Planning Board meeting:

📍 Project / Location: Special Quorum Court Meeting - Appeal of O’Brien Ready Mix Facility CUP, 16234 W Hwy 62, Prairie Grove, AR 72753. Two parcels +/- 7.42 acres.

🏛️ Transparency Corner: Public Records

Remember back in October when Washington County Judge Patrick Deakins opened an “Inquiry” into certain purchases by the Assessor’s Office? Recently the judge did issue this Final Order.

📌 Key Excerpts from the County Judge’s Final Order (with my comments):

“In Arkansas, County Attorneys represent county elected officials…here when Assessor Hill understood that these expenses were being questioned, he solicited an opinion from Ms. French.” [Note: Ms. Lindsey French is an attorney with Arkansas Association of Counties (AAOC)].
- Had Assessor Hill asked the opinion of his County Attorney, like Judge Deakins is insinuating he should have done, that advice, opinion, or legal counsel would have been given by Mr. Brian Lester, Washington County Attorney, or by Ms. Catherine Baker, Deputy County Attorney.

Ms. French’s legal opinion found, among other things: “No clear abuse of discretion exists here, and for that reason, I do not believe that the county court should substitute its judgment about an expenditure in place of the County Assessor.”
- Despite this outside legal opinion from the AAOC's attorney, Ms. Lindsey French, Judge Deakins pursued this matter. Judge Deakins and Ms. Catherine Baker tried to get Ms. French to "reevaluate" or "amend" her opinion so they could "...share it with the paper."

“This Court would encourage our local Assessors to use their offices to search for opportunities to decrease costs and potentially decrease the property tax rate…”
- It is important to clarify, however, that under Arkansas law, property tax rates (millage rates) are set by the county’s legislative body, the Washington County Quorum Court, not by the Assessor’s Office.
In summary, the Final Order directs the “...comptroller’s office to work with the County Attorney’s office to create a policy…”

As a result of all this, Washington County, Arkansas is unique in that the AAOC has now created a "Washington County Legal & Policy Procedure," the first such policy in the AAOC's 57 year history.

✍️ A NOTE FROM BETH: I share the Judge’s stated commitment to transparency and accountability, taxpayers not having to "fight their elected officials" to get information, and I hope he will apply that same level of transparency and openness to the concerns and issues identified in the 2023 Arkansas Legislative Audit, which likewise warrant clear public discussion, documented review, and transparent follow-up.

💰 FOLLOW THE MONEY

🟧 MAJOR CONTRACT — FACILITY RENOVATION (Old Jail Building)

💵 Contract 2026-41 Washington County & Paragon Architecture Amount: $1,500,000.00

Project Location: 📍 100 N. College Avenue (Renovation & CRI #25-960)

Scope Includes: • Interior finish renovations • Full kitchen and laundry remodel • 12-person computer lab (power & data) • Security, access control, intercom, AV, and IT coordination

⚠️ Why This Matters: If the Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI) expands into this facility, it would functionally represent another jail expansion, with long-term operational and budget implications, none of which have been discussed in public meetings of the Quorum Court. Jail Expansion was defeated in the 2022 General Election. The Quorum Court has not discussed this contract.

JAIL IMPROVEMENT BONDS VOTES 2022:

FOR 27,566 41.13%

AGAINST 39,460 58.87%

Total Votes Cast 67,026 100.00%

🟦 CRI SERVICES CONTRACT

📜 Contract 2026-42 Washington County & Arisa Health Amount: $169,875.00

Purpose: Behavioral health services for up to 32 residents Phase 1 — Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI)

🟨 CONTRACT AMENDMENTS — COST INCREASES

📜 Contract 2026-48 Washington County & Nabholz / Paint Innovators, Inc. • Original: $268,238.50 • New Total: $344,288.92 ⬆ Increase: $76,050.42 (28.35%)

📜 Contract 2026-46 Washington County & Nabholz / Ark Wrecking Co. (OK) • Original: $98,410.00 • New Total: $156,648.50 ⬆ Increase: $58,238.50 (59.19%)

📜 Contract 2026-44 Washington County & Nabholz / Comfort Systems USA • Original: $986,748.00 • New Total: $1,137,593.00 ⬆ Increase: $150,845.00 (15.29%)

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🚔 CRIMINAL JUSTICE & DETENTION SNAPSHOT

📍 Detention Center Data • Incarcerated as of 1/23/26: 722
Homeless or Unsheltered: 87 = 12% of total
Total Number Federal Jail Bed Days All of 2025: 28,309
Total Number State Inmate Bed Days All of 2025: 55,574
More information on people incarcerated in our jail: Detainee Summary and Inmate Population Analysis

Here’s the link to the Detailed Charge Report: https://www.washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/sheriff/detention-information/detainee-charge-report

You can check the “Calls for Service” board here.
Here’s a list in alphabetical order to search for people.

➡️ The Criminal Justice Assessment Study of 2020 (“CJAS”) found that our pretrial jail population (including FTAs) was the main driver of our jail overcrowding. Washington County’s current jail population of 722 incarcerated individuals should be viewed in the context of policy choices, not inevitability. The CJAS projected (See Page 85, Figure #48) by 2030, with a robust pretrial services program as a key strategy, our final jail bed need would be 36% smaller than it was in 2020.

🗳️ ELECTIONS & DEMOCRACY

🗓 Early Voting Locations & Times for the March 3, 2026 Election • Early Voting Begins on Tuesday, February 17th.

Last Day to Early Vote is Monday, March 2, 2026.

🔗 Check Registration at https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/VoterView. You can also view your individual sample ballot at that link.

🧾 County Bid Postings (as of 01/25/26):

BID 2026-01 Plastic Tile for Road Department. Bid posted 1/9/26; Questions Due: 1/20/26; Bids due 1/26/26 at 4:00 PM.

Bid 2026-02 Metal Tile for Road Department. Bid posted 1/9/26; Questions Due: 1/20/26; Bids due 1/26/26 at 4:00 PM.

Bid 2026-03 Compact Cargo Van for County Library. Bid posted 1/9/26; Questions Due: 1/20/26; Bids due 1/26/26 at 4:00 PM.

Bid 2026-04 Sheriff Fleet and/or Outfitting. Bid posted 1/23/2; Questions Due: 2/23/26; Bids Due 2/9/26 at 4:00 PM

You can view the closed bids here.

View all RFQs and bids [here].

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🧑‍💼Here are the Washington County Job Openings as of 1/23/26

The listings include a new post for “Network Administrator” with salary range of $73,444.80 - $80,953.60.

Also, Friday 1/23/26 was the last day for our Human Resource Director, Jessica Bennett, to be with the county. That position is not yet posted.

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📣 WHAT YOU CAN DO

✅ Attend a meeting ✅ Submit public comment ✅ Email elected officials ✅ Share this update