JP Coger's Washington County UPdate 10/18/26

3 days ago

5 min read

Welcome to this week’s Washington County Update!

Coger Raises Legal Questions Re: Airport Board Reappointment & Voting

On Friday I raised questions (HERE) and (HERE) about the timing and voting procedure for the Airport Board reappointment of Mr. Tom Lundstrum which occurred (maybe?) at Thursday's Quorum Court meeting. I am consulting independent legal counsel and will share more after that review.

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A big thank you to Washington County Election Commission Coordinator Jennifer Price and her staff for their hard work and dedication to our elections. We are fortunate to have Jennifer’s leadership and a committed team serving Washington County voters. Learn more about their work HERE.

👀 Looking Ahead - There are no county meetings on the calendar at the time of this publication.

All meetings are open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, meetings will be held at the Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College Avenue, Fayetteville.

Please Go Vote - Help Make the Change You Want to See

Early Voting starts Monday, October 19. Go HERE to find early voting locations and times. We have seen just these last few years how important local elections are (as if we didn’t already know), but this year they are more important than at any time I can recall during my lifetime at least.

Planning and Zoning Board Meeting: Thursday, October 29 at 5:00 p.m.
County Services Committee Meeting: Monday, November 9 at 6:00 p.m. (new date due to early voting in Quorum Court Room)
Finance and Budget Committee Meeting: Tuesday, November 10 at 6:00 p.m.
November Regular Quorum Court Meeting: Thursday, November 19 at 6:00 p.m.

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RECAP OF WASHINGTON COUNTY QUORUM COURT MEETING 10/15/26:

Watch the full meeting HERE.

Read the transcript of the meeting (by Owll App) HERE.

Residents raised concerns during public comment time. Diana Scott questioned jail-expansion spending and urged the county to invest in pretrial services to help address overcrowding. Other residents raised traffic and safety concerns surrounding the Stewart Family Light Show, including the temporary closure of Lake Sequoyah Bridge and conditions on Wyman Road. Public comment also included criticism of how a speaker was treated at a previous County Services Committee meeting.

Purchasing controls and transparency. Judge Deakins announced that he is now a “Certified Fraud Investigator” and outlined proposed fraud-prevention measures, including employee training, an independent reporting hotline, tighter controls over surplus county property, and provisions requiring greater vendor transparency in future contracts. I have heard of Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) which is the credential awarded by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. I do not know if they’re the same. In any event, these proposals deserve follow-up to determine how they will be implemented and what information will be available to the public.

CRI funding approved amid disagreement. The court approved an ordinance recognizing Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI) grant revenue and appropriating $34,977.15 as "matching county dollars." I tried to make it clear that this program is not cost effective and that this $35K matching dollar amount is just a drop in the bucket. CRI uses hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars through detention office salaries, food, utilities, and more.

JP Brad Bruns and I voted against it. Supporters emphasized treatment and connections to housing, employment, and other services. Opponents questioned costs and outcomes and urged the county to evaluate the pilot program against competing needs, including pretrial services and jail overcrowding. I voted against it because I know it is not the best use of taxpayer dollars and it is not helping with jail overcrowding. It is actually contributing to it.

Other actions. The court unanimously approved conditional-use permits for Phillips Masonry, the Lake Sequoia Drive Sauna, and Grace Haven Ranch. It also approved a Buildings and Grounds budget amendment allowing remaining state storm-repair funds to be used for maintenance and repairs, including HVAC work, with one member opposed. Juvenile Detention Center grant and budget measures and a Sheriff’s Office capital-budget revenue measure passed unanimously on the consent agenda.

Without giving us JPs prior notice, Judge Deakins asked that Tom Lundstrum be reappointed to the XNA airport board for a six-year term beginning January 1, 2027. As discussed separately in this newsletter, I have challenged that appointment for reasons set out above.

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TRANSPARENCY AND FOLLOW THE MONEY:

1. Order No. 2026-131 - Awarding Axon Enterprise, Inc. the sum of $636,498.48. First year payment is $126,961.61 then $127,384.28 for years 2028 - 2031 - for “new equipment for use by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.” Note: “Axon Enterprise, Inc. is a sole source vendor…”

2. Warrant No. 26005372 to Returning Home, Inc. Payment of $20,598.26 to Returning Home for the Community Alternative Program (CAP). This total includes payroll and payroll taxes in the amount of $11,484.33; ArVest Bank in the amount of $5,513.77 for mortgage payment for Returning Home; Madison County Telephone Co. $196.78 phone bill; see other expenses in the warrant attached.

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📊 Washington County Jail Data Dashboard

⚖️ Detention Center Data. Read the most recent Inmate

Population Analysis HERE.

Read the Detainee Summary HERE.

The Sheriff’s Office’s October 16 reports show a current population of 698 and a reported high count of 723. People currently held had spent an average of 194 days in jail. The daily summary lists 314 pretrial detainees, 230 state prisoners, and 84 federal prisoners, including 161 new commitments to the Arkansas Department of Correction.

92 are listed as unhoused.
8732 Year to Date Bookings
0 Sent to Prison
7.03 Number of Average Prior Bookings
37 Average Age of Detainees
613 Males
85 Females

These figures underscore the need to examine detention lengths, state-prison transfers, and opportunities for appropriate pretrial release with support and supervision as part of addressing overcrowding.

Read the 2020 Criminal Justice Assessment Study. Washington County has not implemented the study’s central recommendations and, in my view, has instead directed funding toward programs that conflict with its recommended approach.

🔎 Public Data Resources

Detailed reports are available here:

Detainee 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.

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🧾 County Bid Postings as of 10/16/26: No new bids.

Bid No. 2026-19 - Detainee Food, Commissary, Communications Services was awarded:

View all RFQs and bids

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Washington County Job Openings 10/16/26

Job	Type	Application Deadline	Salary
Administrative Assistant III- DEM (0500009)	Full Time	Open Until Filled	19.95-21.98
Adult Detention Officer (4784030)	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$21.91 / HR
Drug Court Counselor - Division IV (Position number 1425.001)	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$24.04
Election Poll Worker	Temporary	Open Until Filled	14/Hr
FINS Attorney	Contractor	Open Until Filled	36,000 / Yr
Juvenile Officer Multilingual - Division VIII - 0408006	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$21.91 - $24.14
Juvenile Probation/FINS Officer Division VIII 0408.010	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$21.91 - $24.14
Mechanic II-Road 0200303	Full Time	Open Until Filled	28.22-31.11
Mechanic I-Road 0200311	Full Time	Open Until Filled	24.38-26.86
Operator I- Roads 0200441	Full Time	Open Until Filled	18.61-20.51
Senior Case Coordinator 0416014	Full Time	10/16/2026 4:30 PM	$52,832 - $58,240
Sheriff's Maintenance Technician (4830069)	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$23.71 / HR
Systems Administrator-IT 0115005	Full Time	Open Until Filled	73444.80-80953.60