WASHINGTON COUNTY BIG MAD ABOUT LAWSUIT FILED BY ARKANSAS JUSTICE REFORM COALITION OVER COUNTY'S IMPROPER USE OF ARPA MONEY TO EXPAND THE JAIL and ACCUSES JP BETH COGER OF BEING "DEEPLY CONFLICTED" AND "OPERATING UNDER A CONFLICT OF LOYALTY". See letter below addressed to me alleging that I am "deeply conflicted" and operate under a "conflict of loyalty," and copied to the entire quorum court, from one of WC’s two county attorneys, Catherine Baker.
I'm not conflicted at all. I'm not a party to the lawsuit. I'm very happy with where I am and what I'm doing. If AJRC is successful in its lawsuit, it will save Washington County taxpayers from being obligated to repay that money, possibly every cent ($20M+) if the federal government decides to "claw back" illegally used ARPA money. ARPA final rules specifically prohibit use of ARPA money for jail expansion. The voters of Washington County have repeadly said a hard NO! to jail expansion. Elect leaders who will listen.
As of last week, the county has four (4) attorneys hired to fight the lawsuit: Alexander T. Jones, Eric Berger andScott Andrew Irby of Wright, Lindsey & Jennings, and Thomas N. Kieklak of Harrington Miller Law Firm. Those lawyers are being paid with your tapayer dollars.
YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE:
⇒ Help the community keep the NWA Community Correction Center in Fayetteville. Learn more about the CCC here. County Judge Deakins is in the process of evicting the Department of Corrections from the facility on College Avenue. He plans to “repurpose” the building for county use. Most likely a satellite jail, though that hasn’t been confirmed other than the “...sheriff and his staff are huddling together…” to come up with a plan.
Ask Deakins, Sheriff Cantrell, your JP, all JPs, how they plan to fund the renovation of the facility to bring it up to current jail standards.
Ask how they plan to staff a satellite jail when we don’t have adequate staffing for our existing jail.
Ask if they’ve conducted a cost analysis or feasibility study for any plans they have for retaking the building.
Ask them to explain why it’s a good financial move to proceed with this project without having a plan for how to pay for and maintain any future county use of the facility.
Ask them if they can assure you that it will not mean a tax increase at some point?
The deadline that the Department of Corrections has set to either leave the building or negotiate a new deal is 8/15/24. There’s not a lot of time, but there’s enough time.
Here’s how you can contact your county officials.
⇒ The County Services Committee of the Washington County Quorum Court meets Monday 7/29/24, 6:00 PM, Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College, Fayetteville, Arkansas. In person meeting only. The meeting will be livestreamed on the county’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/washcoar
12 MINUTE PUBLIC COMMENT TIME AT THE END OF THE MEETING (AFTER ALL VOTES AND DISCUSSION) AND A TWELVE MINUTE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD BEFORE WE VOTE ON ANY ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION.
Here’s the full agenda. Notice the zoning ordinance and map are back on for a vote, yet there’s been zero public meetings out in the county. In addition to the regular reports, there is a presentation by Nick Robbins of Returning Home and Larry Shackleford of Washington Regional.
⇒ Note Item 9.1: AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE TRAVELING PUBLIC, CONDITION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE COUNTY MAINTAINED PUBLIC ROADS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY AND WITHIN ITS UNINCORPORATED
LIMITS; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND, FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Not sure what that’s about, but it could impact people living in the county and within its unincorporated limits.
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