JP Coger's Washington County Update 7/27/25

Beth Coger
Jul 27
4 min read

Updated: Aug 26

As always, I love all my subscribers and would like to add new subscribers. If you know someone who would like to be added to this newsletter, just let me know. I want to expand coverage to involve more people. Community involvement always leads to better government, whether nationally or locally. @ejcoger@gmail.com or text 479-306-9994

At a Glance: County Meetings

As of July 27, 2025, no county meetings are posted on the county website for this week. The next scheduled meeting is:

🗓️ County Services Committee📍 Washington County Courthouse🕕 Monday, August 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM

Hellraiser Award Recognition

On Saturday evening, I was honored to receive the Hellraiser Award from Arkansas Community Organizations (ACO). Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with me and thanks to ACO for all the work they do to help so many people.

This recognition was awarded to me—I did not seek it out. I did not apply for it and I did not pay for it—in acknowledgment of my work advocating for government transparency, criminal justice reform, and affordable housing.

In Washington County, it doesn’t take much to be labeled a “troublemaker.” Simply showing up, asking questions, and holding officials accountable is often enough. If that’s what qualifies as raising hell—I’m proud to do it---and I want to continue doing that for as long as I can.

FOIA Lawsuit Update

✅ I have received payment from Washington County for the judgments awarded in my most recent Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (AFOIA) lawsuit. To clarify: I was reimbursed only for the attorney’s fees and court costs I personally paid out of my own pocket over the past 2.5 years—just under $10,000.

Under Arkansas law, a successful FOIA plaintiff is entitled to recover only the legal costs directly related to filing and litigating the case. The law does not allow reimbursement for the time, effort, or personal impact caused by officials’ unlawful conduct. And importantly, that money is paid from the county treasury—not from the personal accounts of those who violated the law.

I am currently gathering information on how much taxpayer money the county spent fighting this lawsuit—both in circuit court and at the Court of Appeals. Taxpayers should be aware of how much it costs when transparency is ignored.

Sheriff’s Office Investigations

You’ve likely seen recent reports regarding investigations involving the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. My involvement began on February 1, 2024, when I received a call from a WC Sheriff’s Office employee. The caller alleged that a county employee had been using county-owned equipment (Bobcat--You can Google it) to build a private residence.

After a basic site visit and confirming a Bobcat was present on the employee’s personal property, I submitted a formal complaint to then Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett on February 5, 2024.

Months passed without updates (at least to me), even as employees reached out to me. I escalated the matter by contacting the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office of Integrity and the Arkansas State Police.

There is more to this story, and I am sure we will know more when the Arkansas State Police investigation is released, but for now, I want to direct you to the diligent work of Justice of the Peace Evelyn Rios Stafford. JP Rios Stafford, an Emmy Award–winning journalist, has graciously made her research and documentation available to the public. You can find detailed investigative files and more (photos, documents, etc.) on her website:🌐 www.evelynriosstafford.com

Her reporting provides deeper context and analysis that I highly recommend.

Detention Center Data – July 26, 2025

As of Saturday, 685 individuals were incarcerated at the Washington County Detention Center. Here’s the current breakdown:

85 individuals reported as “homeless” or listed Seven Hills Shelter (1832 S. School Street) as their address
41 detainees are classified as 309 Trustees
118 individuals have been sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Corrections but remain in county custody due to lack of available state prison beds
193 individuals are being held for Failure to Appear charges
200 are being held for other jurisdictions

🔗 Detailed Charge Report🔗 Calls for Service Dashboard🔗 Alphabetical Detainee Lookup

County Bid Opportunities (as of 7/27/25)

🆕 Bid 2025-08

📅 Due: August 4, 2025, at 4:00 PM
📦 Bid: Thirteen (13) road graders with a request for trade-in value on eleven (11) existing units🔗 View bid and amendment

📄 View all current bid and RFQ postings here.

County Job Openings (as of 7/27/25)

Position	Type	Deadline	Pay Range
Adult Detention Officer	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$21.91/hr
Election Poll Worker	Temporary	Open Until Filled	$14.00/hr
Juvenile Detention Officer	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$21.25–$23.42/hr
Peer Recovery Specialist	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$18.00/hr
Planning Technician	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$21.25–$22.31/hr
Road Dept Mechanic III	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$29.92–$32.98/hr
Road Dept Equipment Operator EQ1–4	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$16.90–$31.10/hr (DOE)
Victim Assistance Coordinator	Full Time	Open Until Filled	$21.91–$24.14/hr