State's new drug boss quits as JP

Altes cites demands of job

 Denny Altes is the recently appointed state drug director.
Denny Altes is the recently appointed state drug director.

FORT SMITH -- Denny Altes, the recently appointed state drug director, has resigned from the Sebastian County Quorum Court because his new job is too time consuming, he wrote in a letter to the county judge.

"This is a very demanding task and will require much more of my time than I originally thought," Altes wrote in a letter dated May 26 to David Hudson, county judge of Sebastian County.

He told Hudson in the letter that his resignation would be effective June 1. Hudson said he received the letter Wednesday.

Altes, 67, of Fort Smith was elected without opposition in November to the District 13 seat on the Quorum Court after incumbent Ray Stewart chose not to seek re-election. Altes took office Jan. 1 for the two-year term.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson named Altes as the new drug director last month. Altes' resignation letter to Hudson was written on Office of the State Drug Director stationery.

As drug director, Altes will coordinate drug and alcohol prevention and treatment initiatives, according to the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

Altes also served briefly as the District 13 justice of the peace beginning in January 1999 before resigning his position in May 1999 to succeed Mac McGehee as District 14 state representative after McGehee's death.

"I know we have been through this before back in 1999," Altes wrote in his letter to Hudson, "and I hate to do this to you again but I think it best to devote my full attention to the mission of Drug Director."

Altes continued to serve in the Arkansas House until 2003, and in the Senate from 2003-2011. He then returned to the House, where he served from 2011 until January, when he became term limited.

After Altes' appointment to the drug post, Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue requested an Arkansas attorney general's opinion on whether it violated the Arkansas Constitution, state statute or common law for the state drug director to serve as a member of the Sebastian County Quorum Court.

In his request, Shue noted that two members of the county drug task force are county employees who receive pay from state and federal grants. Also, the Sebastian County sheriff's office receives drug task force money that is deposited in the general fund, which is controlled by the Quorum Court's budgeting process.

The attorney general's office had 30 days to respond to Shue, spokesman Judd Deere said Thursday. But he said Shue sent a letter to Attorney General Leslie Rutledge on Wednesday withdrawing his request for an opinion after learning of Altes' resignation.

Hudson said the Quorum Court will declare the District 13 seat vacant at its next regular meeting June 16. After that, he said, the governor will be notified of the vacancy and will appoint a replacement to serve out Altes' term.

That person will not be eligible to run for election to that position in 2016, he said.

NW News on 06/05/2015

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