JP Coger's Washington County UPdate 10/4/26
Welcome to this week’s Washington County Update!
THIS SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS NORMAL
When a community member is silenced at a public meeting, every elected official and everyone in the public should be concerned. When we let it pass without objection, we make it easier for it to happen again.
During public comment at Monday’s County Services meeting, Chair Lisa Ecke interrupted community member Bryson Austin, cut off his microphone, and adjourned the meeting while he was still trying to speak. Her treatment of Mr. Austin was unacceptable and raises serious First Amendment concerns.
Mr. Austin came to discuss the evaluation of Returning Home’s programs and concerns about an earlier public-comment period. Chair Ecke repeatedly characterized his remarks as a “rant” or “disparaging comments” and told him he would not receive his full three minutes on those terms.
Criticism of elected officials is a legitimate part of public participation. A chair may enforce reasonable time limits and rules that keep a meeting orderly. Those rules must be applied fairly, without discriminating against a speaker’s viewpoint.
I called “Point of Order” several times, but Chair Ecke did not recognize me. I knew what was happening was wrong, but at that moment I did not know how else to stop it. Mr. Austin had the right to, and did defend his right to speak, after his opportunity to speak was taken away. Even then, he remained courteous.
You can read my transcript of the exchange here. You can and should also watch the meeting here; the exchange occurs near the end.
This atmosphere on the Quorum Court did not begin last Monday. It has been festering for years, at least since 2019 when I attended my first meeting, but since 2023 has progressed to a whole new level of mean. I have experienced and witnessed elected officials berate or dismiss me and other JPs during public meetings. Also, members of the public who just wish to address their elected officials. These repeated exchanges help create an atmosphere in which shutting people down begins to seem ordinary.
It is not normal, and we should not accept it.
Judge Deakins and every JP—including me—have a responsibility to set a better example. When officials respond to criticism with contempt, they discourage people from participating. Residents should not have to brace themselves for humiliation before speaking to their own government.
Our community deserves leaders who listen, respect disagreement, and protect the public’s opportunity to speak —even — or especially — when the criticism makes us uncomfortable.
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PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AMENDMENT: SEVEN YES VOTES, THEN A REVERSED RULING
During Monday’s County Services meeting, I offered an amendment to JP Evelyn Rios Stafford’s proposed data center moratorium.
My amendment would require the Planning Board and Quorum Court each to hold a public meeting before final recommendations were presented. Residents could speak and submit written comments and recommendations, which would accompany the report to the Quorum Court. My goal was to ensure that the community had meaningful opportunities to help shape the county’s approach to data centers.
If you remember back to when the county was amending its zoning ordinance and we tried to get the county to hold public meetings and they would not, then you understand why this is necessary. (They finally held one statutorily required meeting)
(It is important to remember that this was an amendment to a motion that was pending. It was not an amendment to an existing ordinance. That would have required a ⅔ vote).
The chair counted seven votes in favor, five against, and one abstention—and initially announced that my amendment passed. After JP Rios Stafford questioned whether eight votes were required, Chair Lisa Ecke reversed her announcement and declared that it failed.
This exchange occurred at approximately 1:16:18–1:17:44.
I later raised a Point of Order challenging that ruling. We were considering an amendment to a pending proposal in committee. We were not enacting an ordinance or changing an ordinance already in force.
Under Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12:7(7), an amendment to a pending motion ordinarily requires a majority vote, regardless of the vote required to adopt the underlying proposal. Sections 44:1 and 44:9(a) explain that a majority is more than half of the votes cast and that an abstention does not affect an ordinary majority vote. Seven yes votes out of twelve votes cast meets that standard.
Further discussion about the vote, the abstention, and whether another vote should be taken occurred at approximately 1:25:46–1:31:36. The disagreement remained unresolved before the committee voted 11–2 to postpone the proposed ordinance until the next County Services meeting.
That is a perfect example of why we need the County Attorney present at all committee meetings.
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After the meeting, I prepared this proposed Ordinance to Amend Washington Ordinance 2000-24 to require either the county attorney or deputy county attorney to be present at all committee meetings. As it stands now, the county attorney is required to attend quorum court meetings only.
I initially thought I would bring an ordinance to hire an independent parliamentarian, but our two county attorneys’ salaries are $136,938 for Brian Lester and $127,620 for Catherine Baker, which should be more than sufficient to compensate them for attending meetings a couple times a month. It would not be fair to use tax dollars for another position. Read more about this in my agenda report below.
Residents and elected officials deserve clear, consistent rules—and a clear explanation when an announced vote result is reversed.
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👀 Looking Ahead
All meetings are open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, meetings will be held at the Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College Avenue, Fayetteville.
Finance & Budget Committee Meeting: Tuesday, October 6, at 6:00 p.m.
Election Commission Meeting: Wednesday, October 7, at 4:00 p.m., 2721 S. Brink Drive, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
October Regular Quorum Court Meeting: Thursday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m.
Planning and Zoning Board Meeting: Thursday, October 29 at 5:00 p.m.
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WASHINGTON COUNTY MEETINGS WEEK OF 10/4/26:
The Finance & Budget Committee of the Washington County Quorum Court will meet Tuesday 10/6/26 at 6:00 p.m. for its October meeting.
Agenda Highlights:
No Item Number: I am going to try to add this proposed Ordinance to Amend Washington Ordinance 2000-24 to require either the county attorney or deputy county attorney to be present at all committee meetings. Because I did not submit it before the deadline, it will require a two-thirds vote to get it added to the agenda, so it may not live to see the light of day this month. It will require a 2/3 vote to get it added to the agenda.
For a complete dive into the agenda items, please go HERE for my analysis and review.
RECAP OF COUNTY SERVICES MEETING 9/28/26:
Watch the full meeting HERE.
Read a full summary of the meeting (by Owll App) HERE.
The Washington County Services Committee amended its agenda by postponing the gratuity ordinance until February 2027 (I do not think that is legal under Robert’s Rules”—it’s too far out), and removing a Tyson/AEDC resolution because members said they needed more information about costs, job creation, wage commitments, and contingency plans. Members also discussed continued zoning violations related to the Stewart family’s holiday-light display, including enforcement challenges and neighborhood concerns.
Department and program updates included 22 juvenile detention intakes in September, with an average stay of about 18 days. The Sheriff’s Office reported 746 people in the jail, including 177 sleeping on floors.
The committee debated a proposed one-year moratorium on new data centers in unincorporated areas, citing questions about utilities, infrastructure, zoning authority, and potential legal risks. Amendments would add application deadlines and require infrastructure reports. My amendment calling for public hearings was first counted as passed. Then later ruled not to have passed, with the chair and JP Rios Stafford citing a requirement for eight votes; I raised a point of order disputing that ruling. The committee postponed further action until next month, pending legal review and clarification about the ordinance’s effect on local internet providers.
TRANSPARENCY AND FOLLOW THE MONEY:
Order 2026-126 - $26,065.63 - Awarding Bid No. 2026-20 to Dana Safety Supply, Inc. for Soft Body Armor for the Sheriff’s Office.
2. Order 2026-127 -- County Procurement Card purchases as of 9/24/26. September’s net P-Card spending was $52,936.24—down $13,436.65, or 20.24%, from August. That is the lowest monthly amount in the April–September comparison.
Month, 2026 | Net P-Card spending | Change from previous month | Percentage change |
April | $70,047.08 | — | — |
May | $57,053.80 | −$12,993.28 | −18.55% |
June | $78,196.37 | +$21,142.57 | +37.06% |
July | $70,709.45 | −$7,486.92 | −9.57% |
August | $66,372.89 | −$4,336.56 | −6.13% |
September | $52,936.24 | −$13,436.65 | −20.24% |
Six-month total: $395,315.83.
Six-month monthly average: $65,885.97.
Spending (for Procurement Cards) has declined for three consecutive months.
September was $25,260.13, or 32.30%, below June’s high.
September was $15,539.68, or 22.69%, below the April–August monthly average.
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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 reports show 702 people in custody, including 346 classified as pretrial—49.3% of the population are pretrial. The reported daily high was 710. Pretrial means someone has been arrested and/or charged, but they are in jail waiting on their case to come up because they do not have the money to buy their freedom.
State prisoners accounted for 207 people, and federal prisoners accounted for 84.
The current population has spent an average of 190 days in jail. This measures elapsed detention among people still held, rather than the average stay of everyone booked and released.
Using the historical $80.52 per person per day benchmark, housing 702 people represents approximately $56,525 per day, or $1.70 million over 30 days if the population remains unchanged. These estimates are not current audited costs and do not subtract reimbursements.
With nearly half the population classified as pretrial, we need better information about who could safely be released with appropriate support, what barriers keep them detained, and how promptly their cases are moving. Effective pretrial services and access to community treatment deserve serious consideration.
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 10/4/26
Bid 2026-19 — Detainee Food, Commissary, and Communications Services. Bids were opened 9/29/26. See Sign-In Sheet HERE. Read the Questions & Answer section HERE. It contains interesting information about jail operations that we do not usually know about. Award Pending.
Bid 2026-21 — BID CLOSED. AI-Powered Phone, Chat, and Email Communications Platform. No bid award as yet. See Tabulation Sheet HERE.
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Washington County Job Openings 10/3/26
Washington County has 14 job postings covering courts and legal services, juvenile services, detention, road maintenance, information technology, and elections. All are listed as open until filled.
Opportunities include a Deputy Public Defender, Drug Court Counselor, FINS Attorney, juvenile officers, adult and juvenile detention officers, two road mechanic positions, a road equipment operator, Sheriff’s maintenance technician, Systems Administrator, and temporary election poll workers.
Listed hourly pay ranges from $14 for poll workers to $31.11 for Mechanic II. Annual salaries include 76,606–84,448 for Deputy Public Defender and 73,445–80,954 for Systems Administrator. The FINS Attorney opening is a $36,000 annual contract position.
View the county’s job postings and application details here. Please share these opportunities with anyone who may be interested.
See the full list and application details.
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I look forward to any questions or comments you may have.
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— Beth Coger
Justice of the Peace, District 9
Washington County Quorum Court
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