BENTONVILLE — Benton County Justice of the Peace Marge Wolf swapped hats Tuesday, resigning her seat on the Quorum Court so she can fill a vacancy on the Rogers City Council.
Wolf, president and chief executive officer of Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, has been on the Quorum Court for 10 years — serving from 1995 to 1999 and again from 2004 to the present. She said she already had decided to serve out her term, but not seek re-election and made plans to run for a Rogers City Council seat instead.
AT A GLANCE
The Last Time
According to information from the Benton County Clerk’s Office, the county last had a vacancy on the Quorum Court in October 2007 when Burt Schindler resigned. That vacancy was filled in December 2007 when Gov. Mike Beebe appointed Beverly Williams to serve the remainder of Schindler’s term.
Source: Staff Report
“At that time, I did not expect Barney Hayes to leave as soon as he did.” Wolf said.
Hayes resigned his seat on the City Council on July 13 to take a job as director of the city’s Parks Department.
Wolf said in Arkansas county government a person appointed to fill a vacancy cannot run for that office at the next election. In city government, she said, she could be appointed to fill the vacancy left by Hayes’ resignation and still run for a seat on the council in the next election.
“The logical thing was for me to take the city seat now,” she said. Wolf was sworn in at Tuesday’s Rogers City Council meeting.
County Judge Dave Bisbee said he received Wolf’s letter of resignation Tuesday morning. State law says a vacancy on a Quorum Court must be filled by an appointment by the governor, Bisbee said. He said the Quorum Court must officially declare a vacancy exists before the governor will act. Bisbee planned to call a special meeting of the court for Aug. 10, immediately after the regularly scheduled meeting of the Quorum Court’s Committee of 13. Anyone interested in serving on the Quorum Court should contact the governor’s office.