JP Coger's Washington County UPdate 8/16/26
- Beth Coger
- 13 minutes ago
- 9 min read
Welcome to this week's Washington County Update! I attended the Arkansas Association of Counties Annual Conference in Hot Springs last week. I will have more on that next week - there is already so much to cover in this edition.
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🌟 Last week, the Finance & Budget Committee voted 8–3 to advance Washington County’s participation in the federal State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), despite the human consequences, unanswered questions about the county’s application, and the fact that the proposed $100,000 is only an estimate—the actual award will not be known until later this fall.
One of the meeting’s most revealing moments came when JP Lisa Ecke asked Sheriff Jay Cantrell directly whether SCAAP is harmful to people. The sheriff initially called it “kind of a hard question” and focused instead on his responsibility to seek reimbursement for county expenses.
When I later pointed out that he had not said the program was harmless, the sheriff responded: “I don’t know if it’s harmful or not. I really wouldn’t be able to express much of an opinion on that.”
Before our county voluntarily participates in a program that can deepen fear, erode community trust, and contribute to detention, deportation, and family separation, we should be able to answer whether the money is worth the potential harm. The ordinance now goes before the full Quorum Court this Thursday.
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👀 Looking Ahead
Washington County Quorum Court — Regular Monthly MeetingThursday, August 20, 2026, at 6:00 PMWashington County CourthouseAdditional meeting details are provided below.
Washington County Election Commission MeetingFriday, August 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM2721 S. Brink Drive, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701Additional meeting details are provided below.
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🔢 KEY NUMBERS THIS WEEK
737–747 — People reported in the Washington County Detention Center on August 14.
Approximately 560 - 600 — An estimate of the jail's practical operating capacity after accounting for required inmate classifications and separation needs; the facility's rated capacity is 710.
137–147 — Number of people by which the reported jail population exceeded that estimated effective capacity.
350 — Pretrial detainees, representing nearly 47% of the higher reported jail count.
100 — Federal detainees housed in the county jail: 88 for the U.S. Marshals Service and 12 on immigration holds.
289 — Inmate records Washington County submitted to the federal government in its FY2025 SCAAP application.
$100,000 — Estimated SCAAP revenue placed in the ordinance, although DOJ has not determined the county’s actual award, and it will not be known until late this fall.
$109,455 — Washington County's FY2024 SCAAP award. The County reported approximately $10.8 million in total correctional-officer salary expenditures used in the SCAAP calculation; the award equaled roughly 1% of that amount.
$426,000 — Amount by which Jail Fund expenditures exceeded current revenues year to date.
10%–15% — Projected increase in employee health-insurance contributions for 2027.
10 — County job postings this week: eight full-time, one part-time, and one temporary position.
9 — Development applications approved by the Planning Board on August 13. Three of the four conditional-use permits involved existing businesses seeking to bring their operations into compliance.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY:
1. 📅 Washington County Quorum Court Regular Monthly Meeting is Thursday, 8/20/26 at 6:00 PM. This meeting will be live-streamed on the County’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/washcoar
Read Complete Agenda HERE.
Public comment will occur as Item 5 on the agenda, just after the agenda is adopted and any motions made. This includes a fifteen-minute comment period with a three-minute limit for each individual to comment on items on the agenda or other items.
Additionally, there will be a similar twelve-minute public-comment period before we vote on any ordinance or resolution.
Agenda Items Include:
Item 6: Approval of July 2026 Quorum Court Minutes
Item 7: County Judge Report
Item 8: An Ordinance Authorizing Washington County to Join the Arkansas Property Assessed Capital Expenditure Improvement District. If this ordinance is read at Thursday’s meeting, it will be for its third and final reading. It was postponed from July to August at the request of JP Rios Stafford, its sponsor.
What the ordinance does: The Sheriff is asking the Quorum Court to anticipate and appropriate $100,000 from the FY2025 SCAAP program. That amount is an estimate; the County has not yet received a final award, and doesn’t know if there will even be an award. Washington County submitted 289 inmate records in its FY2025 application, covering the July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024 reporting period.
I have prepared background information explaining exactly what SCAAP is, how it works, and how Washington County came to participate in the program HERE. You can read the federal government's specific requirements for the FY2025 SCAAP program HERE.
I strongly oppose Washington County's continued participation in SCAAP. Immigration enforcement has real consequences for real families. It can leave children without a father or mother—and, in some circumstances, without either parent. Our immigrant neighbors want a better life for themselves and their children, just as we do.
There are federal laws and policies that require local governments to comply with certain federal immigration requirements. SCAAP is different. Washington County's decision to apply for this money is voluntary. That means this is one area where we actually have a choice.
There are some things we simply should not do for money. I believe this is one of them.
Please contact your JP—and, if you wish, all 15 members of the Quorum Court, Judge Deakins and Sheriff Cantrell—and let them know how you feel about Washington County choosing to participate in SCAAP. Contact information is available HERE.
This ordinance, sponsored by JP Kyle Lyons, would amend the budget controls governing the 2026 Washington County budget. It would restrict appropriated capital outlay funds to the specific project or purpose for which the Quorum Court approved them and require Quorum Court approval before those funds could be used for another purpose. The restriction would also apply to all currently outstanding capital outlay appropriations.
2. Washington County Election Commission Meeting Friday, August 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM2721 S. Brink Drive, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
The meeting will include the Candidate Ballot Draw, which is always interesting to watch. I don't know how much ballot position ultimately affects voting, but candidates certainly seem happy when they draw the No. 1 position!
Read the complete Agenda HERE.
The meeting will be live-streamed on the County Election Commission’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpX-GrzfCvEF0PszfEr6V3Q
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REPORT ON FINANCE & BUDGET MEETING OF 8/10/26:
Watch the complete video of the meeting HERE.
Read time-stamped Summary HERE. Caution: Please remember that this is a “summary” and what is included is what I think should be included. It is not meant to cover every discussion. If you want a complete understanding of what occurred at the meeting, you should watch the entire video at the above link.
Most important takeaways
Expenses are outpacing current revenues in the General, Road, and Jail funds, reducing the money available to carry into the next budget year.
The initial 2027 requests exceed available revenues in all three major funds.
The proposed budget’s reported 0.17% increase requires important context. After removing the disappearing $5.5 million in ARPA revenue-replacement funding from the comparison, the proposed increase is approximately 4.4%.
Employee health-insurance contributions are expected to increase by approximately 10%–15% in 2027.
Moving every employee’s annual step increase to January would create an estimated one-time cost of $464,000.
The committee advanced the $100,000 SCAAP appropriation by an 8–3 vote, even though the actual federal award will not be known until later in the fall.
JP Bruns’s ordinance to return approximately $2 million in Buildings & Grounds capital funding to unappropriated reserves failed.
A separate budget-control ordinance requiring capital appropriations to be used for their stated justification passed and will advance to the full Quorum Court.
The Buildings & Grounds discussion revealed that approximately $1.03 million was encumbered after controversy arose over the previously reported $2 million balance.
REPORT ON PLANNING BOARD MEETING OF 8/13/26:
Watch the complete video of the meeting HERE.
Read my time-stamped summary HERE.
Read the Agenda with Staff Reports on each project HERE. (Just click the blue link to access each project)
Three of the four CUP applications involved businesses already operating and seeking approval to “bring the property into compliance.” This illustrates a recurring weakness in complaint-driven land-use enforcement: development and commercial activity may continue for years without proper authority.
Phillips Masonry raised the most serious issue. The Board heard direct evidence of possible downstream property damage and conflicting information about whether less than one acre or approximately 1.75 acres had been developed. The promised engineering review should be followed closely, with its findings placed in the public record.
Green Space Creations also received approval despite an unresolved question about whether its septic system crosses a property boundary. Staff recommended obtaining an easement if the septic lines do cross onto neighboring property. But obtaining an easement is not necessarily simple: the neighboring property owner is under no obligation to grant one, may require compensation, and an easement could permanently encumber the property. I believe that issue should be resolved rather than assumed.
The applications may ultimately be compatible with their surroundings, but after-the-fact approval places the county in a weaker position. Buildings, gravel areas, septic systems, business operations, and traffic patterns are already established before drainage, access, and neighboring-property effects receive full public review.
📊 Washington County Jail Data Dashboard
⚖️ Detention Center Data. Read the most recent Inmate Population Analysis HERE.
Jail Population Remains Well Above Effective Capacity
Washington County Detention Center reports dated August 14 show between 737 and 747 people in custody, depending on which page of the report is used.
Although the facility has a stated or rated capacity of 710 beds, that does not mean all 710 beds can be occupied at the same time. Required separation by sex, security classification, protective custody, medical or mental-health needs, sex-offender status, 309 status, and other classifications leaves some beds unavailable even while people are sleeping on the floor elsewhere in the jail.
A population of 737 is approximately 137 people above effective capacity.
A population of 747 is approximately 147 people above effective capacity.
The jail was operating at approximately 123%–125% of its effective capacity.
The reports list 350 pretrial detainees, 214 state prisoners, and 100 federal detainees. The federal total consisted of 88 U.S. Marshals detainees and 12 people held on immigration holds. Federal detainees therefore represented approximately 13%–14% of the reported jail population.
The most important figure remains the pretrial population: 350 people were being detained before trial. That is nearly half of everyone in the jail and underscores the continued need for real meaningful pretrial services, faster case processing, and careful review of who truly must remain incarcerated while awaiting court.
Read the Detainee Summary HERE.
These numbers reinforce my longstanding support for meaningful pretrial services (which differ from the County's Community Rebuilding Initiative) and for re-establishing a Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee to examine system-wide solutions. Read the 2020 Criminal Justice Assessment Study HERE.
🔎 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 08/16/26):
Bid 2026-17 - Emergency Management Fleet - seeks vehicles and related transportation equipment for Emergency Management, including cars, SUVs, utility vehicles and pickup trucks. This bid was posted 7/31/26. Bids are due 8/17/26 at 4:00 PM. Opening Date is 8/18/26 at 9:00 AM, Fifth Floor Conference Room, Washington County Courthouse.
Bid 2026-18 - Re-Bid 2026-18 Sheriff’s Office Outdoor Range Acoustic. The sheriff’s office is seeking bids for the acoustic reduction to the outdoor firearms range. Bids are due 8/31/26 at 4:00 PM. Opening Date is 9/1/26 at 9:00 AM, Fifth Floor Conference Room, Washington County Courthouse.
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🧑💼Here are the Washington County Job Openings as of 08/16/26. Click on any link below to start the application process.
This week Washington County lists 10 job openings—eight full-time positions, one part-time position, and one temporary Election Poll Worker position. Five of the openings are in detention, law enforcement, or juvenile probation services, including an Adult Detention Officer, certified Patrol Deputy, Juvenile Intake Officer, Juvenile Probation Officer, and Probation Team Lead.
Other openings include Deputy Assessor, janitorial and Animal Shelter positions. Hourly pay ranges from $14 for temporary poll workers to $26.86 for a certified patrol deputy, while the Probation Team Lead pays $58,697.60 to $64,708.80 annually. All positions are listed as open until filled.
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.91 / HR | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $17.29 - $19.05 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | 24.38 - 26.86/hr | |
Temporary | Open Until Filled | 14/Hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $16 - $17.62 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $23.71 - $26.13hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.91 - $24.14 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $16.64-$18.34 | |
Part Time | Open Until Filled | 16.50 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $58,697.60 - $64,708.80 |
View and apply for all county job openings HERE. Please share these opportunities with anyone who may be interested. ___________________________________________________________
Good government depends on an informed and engaged community. Thank you for taking the time to stay informed about the Washington County government. If you found this newsletter helpful, please consider sharing it with your neighbors, friends, and family.
— Beth Coger
Justice of the Peace, District 9
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