JP Coger's Washington County Update 5/4/25
- Beth Coger
- 55 minutes ago
- 6 min read
WHAT IS GOING ON?
Yesterday I was honored to be asked to speak at the groundbreaking for the new Marshallese Church and Community Center. It's a beautiful location at 17411 Pleasure Heights Road, Springdale, Arkansas 72753.
The Marshallese community needs this and I am so happy to see their dreams take shape.
UPCOMING WASHINGTON COUNTY MEETINGS:
(Only one public meeting listed as of 5/4/25 11:20 am)
The Washington County Quorum Court Finance & Budget Committee meets Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 6:00 pm, Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College Avenue, Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is an in-person meeting only. The meeting will be livestreamed here on the county’s YouTube channel.
Here is the Finance & Budget agenda.
Agenda Highlights
Treasurer’s Report for April 2025:
Real Estate Taxes Received: $650,277.49
One-Cent Sales Tax (County Share): $848,466.97
60% to General Fund, 40% to Road Fund
Half-Cent Sales Tax for Jail (YTD): $5,672,855.30
6.96% increase over same period last year
Law Library Fund Balance: $432,743.44
Total Revenue: $40,383,349.15
Total Expenditures: $43,642,368.33
Agenda Item 7.1: FOIA Lawsuit Reimbursement
An ordinance to reimburse $9,735.00 in attorney’s fees and costs related to my second Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the county (Coger v. Deakins et al.), in which both the Washington County Circuit Court and the Arkansas Court of Appeals ruled the county violated public meeting laws.
➡️ Read the lower court's opinion Read the Court of Appeals Opinion➡️ Read the entire Official Court Transcript (everything that was said at trial) (See @Pages 77–78)
County Attorney Brian Lester admitted in court:
“I would admit that the county made a mistake… People make mistakes.”
Agenda Item 8.1: An ordinance to transfer $38,142.50 from General Fund to Special Line Item - County Attorney Budget - to hire outside counsel to assist in the defense of a lawsuit filed by Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition alleging improper procurement procedures in awarding the Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI) grant to Returning Home, Inc. You may read the complaint in that lawsuit here. You will need Adobe Reader or you can go to Arkansas Court Connect here, then click “Docket Entries,” and it’s the second item in the list.
📌MEETINGS TO WATCH FROM LAST WEEK
The Washington County Quorum Court’s County Services Committee met Monday 4/28/25. You can watch the meeting here. Starting at 20:49 in the video Judge Deakins says that JP Coger “...likes to crow and hide behind transparency..." You can read the transcript here if that’s easier than watching.
Here's the short version of the video where Judge Deakins speaks.
So what brought this on? I sponsored an ordinance requiring advance notice of appointments to county boards and committees—something we currently do not receive.
🗳 JPs Voting FOR Greater Transparency:
JP Bruns
JP Lopez
JP Washington
JP Coger
JP Highers
JP Stafford
🗳 JPs Voting AGAINST the Measure:
JP Wilson
JP Massingill
JP Lyons
JP Dean
JP Ecke
JP Dennis
JP Leming
JP Ricker
JP Pond
The ordinance failed. Instead, the court opted for continued informal, handshake-style appointments without codifying transparency requirements.
📌 At 54:37, Judge Deakins criticized me for not “running the ordinance by his office.” However, I submitted the measure to the County Attorney on time, per the rules.
💬 On Procedure: JP Lisa Ecke, Chair of County Services, refused to acknowledge multiple “Points of Order” calls and denied a roll call vote, which would have publicly recorded how each JP voted.
📚 Robert’s Rules of Order – Section 23 (Point of Order)📚 Section 29 (Division of the Assembly – Roll Call)
Here’s a partial transcript of the County Services Chair, JP Lisa Ecke. Why would the Chair not want JPs’ votes to be memorialized and let the people at home see how we voted?
📌The Washington County Planning Board met Thursday, 5/1/25. Here’s the video of that meeting.
I urge you to watch the video, but here’s a summary of the “meeting” as I witnessed it:
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Decisions:
Genesis RV Park (41 Pads): Approved (4–1 vote)
Mission Blvd. Secure Storage: Denied (3–2 vote; 63 citizens opposed)
Other Developments:
Eugene Snyman Minor Subdivision: Approved unanimously
Sonora Meadow Preliminary Subdivision: Approved unanimously
Hammond Minor Subdivision: Approved unanimously
Bill’s Fence Co. LSD (Prairie Grove): Approved unanimously
The county had told the public and it was posted on their website in the agenda that this would be the public hearing required for the new zoning ordinance under A.C.A. 14-17-207 and that the “County Legal team would explain the latest court rulings in the EagleCrest Recovery CUP Project."
However, when it came time for these last two agenda items, we were told that this would not happen because County Attorney Brian Lester was absent. The assembly objected and the Chair of Planning advised that he would allow the public to speak, and he promised to make sure the county attorney was at the next meeting, but there would be no legal opinion given (at Thursday's meeting).
JP Lyons spoke to the assembly at 25:55 in this video that the new zoning ordinance was mostly just a combining of all the ordinances on zoning into one document. I do not believe this was the public hearing envisioned by lawmakers when A.C.A. 14-17-207 was passed, but you can read it and decide. This meeting may have technically “checked the box,” as Joe Maynard said, and I'm pretty sure the county will argue that it did, but it lacked the spirit of a true public hearing.
According to JP Lyons, this new zoning ordinance will be on the May 15, 2025 Quorum Court meeting agenda to be voted on.
🌟 DETENTION CENTER INFORMATION 5/2/25
As of Monday, 4/28/25, there were 748 individuals detained in the Washington County Detention Center.
As of Friday, 5/2/25, there are 725 individuals currently detained.
As of Monday, 4/28/25, there were no restrictive bookings, per Sheriff Jay Cantrell’s report to the court. The sheriff’s report starts at 5:42 in the video.
73 detainees list their addresses as either "homeless" or "1832 S School Street" (Seven Hills Homeless Shelter). Same number as last week.
Zero Covid cases as of 4/28/25
41 309s An "Arkansas 309 inmate" refers to an individual participating in the Act 309 program, established under Act 309 of 1983. This program allows certain inmates from the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) to be transferred to county or city jails, where they can assist with local government operations or community projects.
28 vacant positions in the detention center
4 vacant positions in the enforcement division
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.
READ AND STUDY THE 2020 CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASSESSMENT STUDY PREPARED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS HERE. READ AND LEARN WHY WE DO NOT NEED TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON JAIL EXPANSIONS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE!
_______________________________________________________________________
County Bid Postings (as of 5/4/25)
Pre-Procure Disaster/Weather Relief RFP.
Time Schedule:
RFP posted on County website on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
RFP request for clarifications to be submitted by 2:00 PM on Monday, May 12, 2025.
RFP due at 4:00 PM, Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
RFP opened at 9:00 AM, Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Download the bid packet here.
Property Insurance Buildings & Content: Is still showing on the listing. The notice says bids would be opened 4/29/25.
View all current RFQs and bids [here].
_______________________________________________________________________
County Job Openings (as of 5/2/25)
Administrative Assistant-Prosecuting Attorney
Type: Full Time
Salary/Pay Rate:$38.708.80-$42,660.80
Assistant Grants Administrator
Type: Full Time
Salary/Pay Rate:$63,856.00-$70,387.20
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $18.61-$20.51 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.91 / HR | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $63,856.00-$70,387.20 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | 24.38 hr - 26.86 (DOE) | |
Temporary | Open Until Filled | 14/Hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.25 - $23.42/hr | |
Part Time | 05/06/2025 4:30 PM | $17.86 / Hr | |
Part Time | Open Until Filled | 16.50 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $17.05 Hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.25 - $22.31 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $29.92-$32.98 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $16.90-$31.10 |
The Road Department (479-444-1610) and Sheriff's Office (479-444-5700) are consistently hiring.
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
Comments