FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County Judge Marilyn Edwards didn’t get to decide the number of Quorum Court committees or their leaders for the 2013-14 term Thursday.
The Quorum Court spent nearly all of its only scheduled meeting this month testing parliamentary procedures while debating how the group will govern the next two years.
At A Glance
Committee Meetings
February’s scheduled Quorum Court and committee meetings at the Washington County Courthouse:
• 5:30 p.m. Feb. 4
County Services
Public Works
• 5:30 p.m. Feb. 11
Personnel Committee
Jail, Law Enforcement and Courts Committee
• 5:30 p.m. Feb. 12
Finance Committee of the Whole
• 6 p.m. Feb. 21
Monthly Quorum Court meeting
Source: Staff Report
The meeting was designated to be an organizational meeting after the start of the 2013-14 term but was quickly changed to be January’s monthly regular meeting. As a result, no other committees are scheduled to meet this month.
The Quorum Court then debated for more than two hours about the number of committees, who would appoint the number of members in each committee, and who would appoint a committee chairman.
The Quorum Court added a proposal by Justice of the Peace Eva Madison to the end of the agenda removing three of the eight committees and have committee members elect chairmen and vice chairmen. The judge would still appoint the members.
Madison’s proposal did away with the Budget Committee of the Whole and the Information Technology and Legislative Affairs Committees. Committee leadership would be appointed by the committee, not the judge.
The last two county judges created the number of committees, filled them with members and appointed their chairmen, said County Judge Marilyn Edwards.
“I would ask that you continue to extend to me the same privileges that you have extended to me in the past as well as my predecessor,” Edwards said.
Edwards instead suggested to do away with all eight committees and instead create one super committee of all Quorum Court members.
That committee would meet nine days prior to the monthly Quorum Court meeting. Edwards wanted Justices of the Peace Mary Ann Spears as chairwoman and Rick Cochran as vice chairman.
Under Edwards’ proposal, that committee would discuss all of the monthly business with the option to schedule two meetings in anticipation of lengthy meetings. The county, by doing so, saves man-hours, taxpayer dollars and duplicated efforts at the committee level where many ordinances go to one committee before reaching the Finance Committee.
Edward’s proposal failed 8-to-6 with one abstention. Justices of the Peace Rex Bailey, Candy Clark, John Firmin, Tom Lundstrum, Jimmy Mardis, Joe Patterson, Bill Ussery and Madison voted against. Justices of the Peace Harvey Bowman, Rick Cochran, Barbara Fitzpatrick, Ann Harbison, Butch Pond and Mary Ann Spears voted in favor. Justice of the Peace Ron Aman abstained.
What followed was a proposal by Harbison to keep things the same for the county judge. After several subsequent amendments, each resulting in spirited debates, the Quorum Court voted to keep Madison’s key suggestions. Edwards appointed members to each committee. The committee leaders will be chosen in February.