Pulaski County announced Tuesday a revamp of its logo and seal -- a $20,000 re-branding effort that County Judge Barry Hyde hopes will change the perception of the county's role in central Arkansas.
According to Hyde, most people associate county government with the jail and paying taxes. The re-branding aims to spread awareness of the multitude of community service programs the county offers, including youth services, public housing vouchers and veterans assistance.
"We have a vast menu of services," Hyde said.
"When I took office in 2015, I had to take a long hard look at not only how the county was meeting the needs of our citizens, but also how the county was perceived in the community," Hyde said during Tuesday's unveiling. "I discovered that a lot of our citizens had little understanding of our role in the community, and even fewer were aware of the services we provided on a daily basis."
The new logo, which depicts an interlocking "P" and "C," will replace the bust of the county's namesake Count Casimir Pulaski -- a Revolutionary War hero most famously known for saving the life of George Washington -- which became the emblem in 1993 under former County Judge Buddy Villines.
"We did a short survey and found that although the count was recognizable, a vast majority found it to be dated, uninspiring and in serious need of an update to reflect Pulaski County as a whole," Hyde said.
A bust of Casimir Pulaski will instead be placed in the lobby of the Pulaski County Administration Building in Little Rock. Other busts can be found in the city at the circuit courthouse, the Juvenile Justice Complex and Riverfront Park and in North Little Rock at Alexander Salon on JFK Boulevard, where one has been for decades, despite the salon receiving several offers for it.
Last summer, the county signed a $20,000 contract with Eric, Rob & Isaac, a Little Rock advertising firm that has led marketing campaigns for several local organizations including Riverfest, First Security Bank and Heifer International. Reprinting business cards, letterheads and envelops will cost an additional $3,600, county officials said.
However, not all county heads will be adopting the fresh logo. The sheriff's office, treasurer and tax collector, county clerk, and assessor will keep their pre-existing emblems or seals. B̶e̶y̶o̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶n̶t̶y̶ ̶a̶d̶m̶i̶n̶i̶s̶t̶r̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶u̶n̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶s̶e̶r̶v̶i̶c̶e̶s̶ ̶d̶i̶v̶i̶s̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶ ̶H̶y̶d̶e̶,̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶P̶r̶o̶s̶e̶c̶u̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶A̶t̶t̶o̶r̶n̶e̶y̶ ̶L̶a̶r̶r̶y̶ ̶J̶e̶g̶l̶e̶y̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶d̶o̶p̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶m̶b̶l̶e̶m̶.̶ The county administration and community services divisions will adopt the emblem. *
"We're not always exactly coordinated, but hopefully we're going in the same direction most of the time," Hyde said.
County officials also announced the launch of a new smartphone application, in which citizens can report anything from potholes to vicious dogs. Similar to North Little Rock's Report and Repair, the Pulaski Works app will give citizens the ability to make service requests and will create a tracking number for people to keep up with the status of their requests.
Pulaski Works was made available in app stores Tuesday and is free to download. It will cost the county $10,400 per year, which will be paid with funds from the county's Road and Bridge Department and Sanitation Department.
Metro on 10/19/2016
*CORRECTION: Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley’s office will keep its pre-existing emblems instead of adopting a new logo and seal unveiled by the county Tuesday. This article incorrectly stated Jegley’s intent.