For the third straight month, a procedural ordinance proposed by Jefferson Count Judge Gerald Robinson failed to pass during the regular monthly meeting of the Quorum Court Monday.
Six of the Justices of the Peace, Reginald Adams, Alfred Carroll, Melanie Dumas, Brenda Bishop Gaddy, Cedric Jackson and Margaret Williams voted no and Rick Victorino, who was appointed in February to replace Danny Holcomb abstained. Justice of the Peace Reginald Johnson was absent.
Voting for the ordinance were Roy Agee, Conley Byrd, Jimmy Fisher, Ted Harden and Patricia Royal Johnson.
Robinson talked with Deltaplex News about the proposed ordinance failing again.
State law requires that a procedures ordinance be approved before the Quorum Court can take any other action and Robinson previously won a lawsuit against seven of the JP’s because they failed to adopt a procedures ordinance in 2023 and 2024. Because of the lack of a procedural ordinance, a resolution approving a memorandum of agreement between the Quorum Court and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regarding Bayou Bartholomew could not be voted on.
Unlike last week when committees of the court met, the dissidents held their own special called meeting with Reginald Johnson acting as chairman and going over their own proposed procedures ordinance.
With Johnson absent, there was no motion to substitute that proposal for the one Robinson proposed.
After the meeting, JP Harden, who has been on the Quorum Court for more than 20 years was asked his thoughts about what has transpired so far this year.
