JP Coger's Washington County UPdate 11/30/25
- Beth Coger
- Nov 30, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 1, 2025
Your Weekly Look at County Government, Transparency & More
A Note From Beth
Thank you for taking time each week to stay informed about your county government. Transparency only works when the public is paying attention, asking questions, and holding officials accountable — and I’m grateful to do this work alongside you.
Please feel free to share this newsletter widely. Anyone who would like to be added to the mailing list can email me at ejcoger@gmail.com.
Washington County’s 2026 budget is $129,707,474. These are your tax dollars, and your involvement matters. The more residents who attend meetings and stay engaged, the stronger and more accountable our county government becomes.
The County Services Committee meeting scheduled for 12/1/25 "will be cancelled," per Mr. David Allen, Quorum Court Coordinator, due to a "lack of ordinances or resolutions." It's still on the county calendar as of 11/30/25 at 5:00 PM. With all that's going on in the county right now, it's hard to believe we do not have an agenda.
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SPECIAL MEETING OF WASHINGTON THE COUNTY QUORUM COURT ON 12/22/25?? Maybe? Who knows? Why is it so hard to find out?
I have received a few calls this week from community members asking about a Special Called Meeting of the WC Quorum Court to be held on 12/22/25. To confirm this, first I sent this reply. The next day, I sent this email to Judge Deakins on 11/24/25 and, after receiving no response, I submitted a FOIA request on 11/26/25 to Deakins and the same to Deputy Attorney Catherine Baker. It is not posted on the county calendar as of 12:00 PM, 11/30/25.
While I have not yet been able to verify this information, I wanted to share what I have heard so that anyone affected has time to prepare. I expect to have more details by next week’s newsletter.
Some people in the community have received notices from the Planning Department that this special meeting will include (a) hearing on the CUP for Gulley Ranch LLC and (b) the O’Brien Ready Mix CUP.
📝 Status Update: County Judge’s Ongoing “Inquiry”
Remember this Order from 10/9/25, Case No. CC2025-26, where Judge Deakins opened an “inquiry” into the matter of unreported gifts from vendors to county employees or elected officials? This Motion to Compel Subpoena Duces Tecum was filed 11/7/25. At least they have corrected the Arkansas Code applicable to these matters: 14-23-103. This motion indicates that a subpoena for production of documents was issued to Correct Solutions, LLC and received 10/13/25. The subpoena requested, “...documents relevant to trips and entertainments offered to Washington County Sheriff’s Office staff…”
Apparently Correct Solutions objected to the subpoena on 10/28/25 (their objection is not in the court file) and that resulted in the Motion to Compel.
🏗️ Update on Women’s Community Rebuilding Initiative Bid
Here is the latest information I have available on the Women’s CRI bid and County Judge’s Order awarding Bid 2025-12 to PEARL. The Order does not mention the amount, but the bid shows Positive Energy Affecting Recovering Lives (d/b/a PEARL) bid $767,690.05 for the women’s residential treatment program. There has been no appropriation for this amount and the county has not heard if its grant for the $1.5 Million Dollar from the Arkansas Community Assistance Grant Program has been approved and/or awarded. That award was to be used for laundry and kitchen updates and connecting corridor to the former women's prison. See the Resolution here.
🗓️ COUNTY MEETINGS THIS Week (December 1 - 5, 2025)
A sincere thank-you to the Washington County Election Commission for providing public access to its meetings through Zoom and livestream. This level of accessibility and transparency is essential for meaningful community participation. In 2025, ensuring remote access to county meetings is both feasible and necessary — and all county bodies should meet this standard. We can. We just have to want to do so.
Monday, 12/01/25, 9:00 am, WASHINGTON COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION MEETS, 2721 S. Brink Drive, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/87410242973?pwd=g1GKch1DbOKPksqbadXPpBhcQpRaao.1
Meeting ID: 874 1024 2973Passcode: 187992
This will be a great meeting to attend. The agenda includes the Preferential Primary: March 3, 2026, ballot layout, early voting sites and dates and election day voting sites.
Thursday, 12/04/25, 9:00 am, WASHINGTON COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION MEETS, 2721 S. Brink Drive, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/82433827497?pwd=phHwa3IvjOjvAgZmWcJgjs4xo1IZHa.1
Meeting ID: 824 3382 7497Passcode: 297177
Another important meeting, this meeting includes the “Ballot Draw” for the March 3, 2026 Preferential Primary, the Nonpartisan Judicial General Election and the Annual School Elections. Candidates on the 3/3/26 ballot will draw sheets of paper with numbers 1, 2, 3, etc. and that will establish their place on the ballot.
There will also be a discussion of the 3/3/26 Primary ballot layout, early voting sites and dates, and election day sites.
📌All Election Commission Meetings are also live-streamed on the County Election Commission’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpX-GrzfCvEF0PszfEr6V3Q
Thursday, 12/04/25, 4:00 pm, WASHINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD MEETING, 881 W. Buchanan, Prairie Grove, Arkansas 72753. In contrast to the transparency shown by the Election Commission, this meeting appears on the county calendar without an agenda, livestream, or Zoom option. This lack of accessibility stands in sharp contrast to the open and inclusive approach demonstrated in the WC Election Commission’s recent meetings.
Thursday, 12/04/25, 5:00 pm, WASHINGTON COUNTY PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD MEETING. The agenda notice shows the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) meets at 5:00 pm, Room #115, Washington County Courthouse and the Planning Board meets at the same time, same date, in the Quorum Court Room, Washington County Courthouse. I’m not sure how that will work, since they are the same people, because it’s always the ZBA first and the Planning Board second, but both in the same location. Read the complete agenda here.
There’s only one ABA agenda item and it is for the Young-Cunningham Variance-Acreage, 15800 Stonewall Rd., WC 64, Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Proposed Use: Single-Family Residential.
The Planning Board meeting includes two (2) Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Hearings and five (5) County Land Development Hearings; Discussion of Current Development and Planning Department activities:
THE HARRIET CUP, Applicant: Tom Sarna (Owner); 16600 Saddlebock Ln, WC 89, Springdale, AR 72764. Proposed Use: Commercial - Event Center. Approx. 9.77 acres / 4 parcels
THE WELLSPRING RETREAT CUP, Applicant: Amanda Lunch (Owner); 12133 Volcano Rd., West Fork, AR 72774. Proposed Use: Commercial - Retreat and Outdoor School. This is for a nonprofit religious retreat center and a nature-based hybrid school on 8.0 acres of a 40.12 acre site. Click on the link to see the application.
THE MEDINA MINOR SUBDIVISION, Applicant: Phil Swope Consulting, 2538 Wildcat Creek, WC 81, Springdale, AR 72762. Proposed Use: Single-Family Residential.
THE REPLAT TRACT 4 WILDERNESS RUN SUBDIVISION, PH. 1, Applicant: Jim Cornerstone (Surveyor), 20558 Big Spring RD, Winslow, AR 72959, Proposed Use: Single-Family Residential.
THE REPLAT TRACT 1 WILDERNESS RUN SUBDIVISION, PH. 1, Applicant: Jim Cornerstone (Surveyor), 20102 Big Spring RD., Winslow, AR 72959, Proposed Use: Single-Family Residential.
THE DAUGHERTY MINOR SUBDIVISION, Applicant: Bates & Associates, 15024 Prairie Grove Lake RD, WC 256, Prairie Grove, AR 72753. Proposed Use: Single-Family Residential.
THE SONORA MINOR SUBDIVISION, Applicant: Alan Reid & Associates, 19476 Sonora Rd, WC 93, Springdale, AR 72764. Proposed Use: Single-Family Residential.
📊 Data Corner
Detention Center Snapshot 11/29/25
Total People in Jail: 698
Homeless: 85
Here’s the link to the Detailed Charge Report:
You can check the “Calls for Service” board here.
Here’s a list in alphabetical order to search for people
County Bid Postings (as of 11/30/25)
Bid 2025-17 Software Maintenance & Technical Support Services. Bid Due Date: 12/11/25
Bid 2025-18 GIS & Geospatial Consulting Services. Bid Due Date: 12/11/25 4:00 PM
Bid 2025-19 (REBID) Exterior Painting at former Women’s Prison. Painting service, supplies, sprayer, coatings, paints and stains.
View all RFQs and bids [here].
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County Job Openings (as of 11/30/25).
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.91 / HR | |
Temporary | Open Until Filled | 14/Hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.25 - $23.42/hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.25 - $23.42/hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $23.71 - $26.13 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.91 - $24.14 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $18hr |
Below is the link for all posted job openings in Washington County. The road department and sheriff’s offices are almost always hiring. The road department is 479-444-1610. The sheriff’s office is 479-444-5700. https://www.washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/human-resources/job-postings
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📬 Closing
Thank you for reading and for staying engaged. Washington County works best when its residents are informed, involved, and unafraid to ask hard questions. I’ll continue to do that work on your behalf — and with your help.
— Beth
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