Sharon Lloyd might make a fine grants administrator for Washington County government under the new county judge, Joseph Wood.
If only things were so simple.
What’s the point?
The hiring of a former justice of the peace as Washington County grants administrator raises questions about the ethical boundaries of Judge Joseph Wood’s administration.
But simple isn't what the administration of Judge Wood is apparently going to be. Maybe he's hoping for simple-minded justice of the peace and constituents who don't raise any questions about his decisions, but thankfully, so far, they haven't been entirely accommodating.
Lloyd was a justice of the peace herself until Dec. 31. A longtime Republican party activist and self-described "political junkie," Lloyd was appointed to the Washington County Quorum Court by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in April 2015 to replace member who resigned from the office. She ran for state Senate last year, losing to Springdale's Lance Eads. Her husband, Roddy Lloyd, ran for her seat on the Quorum Court and won uncontested.
Sharon Lloyd is among the new hires of Judge Woods since he took office in January. He named her grants administrator, a job that pays $53,000 a year. He's shown no inclination to explain why any of his new hires are qualified for their jobs. That doesn't mean they're not. It just means Wood hasn't, so far, been very communicative in his leadership of the county.
So what makes this less than simple? A county policy established by the Quorum Court sets out an understandable and desirable prohibition on elected justices of the peace becoming county employees within a year of their service. Nobody should get elected to the Quorum Court hoping to parlay the post into a full-time job.
But, days after Lloyd's term ended, Wood hired her.
Brian Lester, the county attorney Wood hired to give legal advice and apparently become the Sean Spicer of the Washington County judge's office, yet again had to explain what his boss was up to. Remember, Lester said, the county policy forbade "elected" justices of the peace from taking a job with the county. Lloyd was appointed by the governor.
Well, that just makes it all peachy, right? Wrong, unless county residents want a county judge is looks at county regulations and local and state laws as something to maneuver around, to find loopholes in. Clearly, the spirit behind the county policy is to prevent a sitting justice of the peace from using her post for anything other than representing her constituents. Nobody needs members of the Quorum Court, elected or appointed, using the post to earn a full-time paycheck.
Now, members of the Quorum Court favorable to Wood's sleight of hand want to make it right, or perhaps more accurately, not in violation of county policy. Justice of the Peace Bill Ussery proposed to retroactively exempt Lloyd from the county policy.
Really? Well, maybe that gives hope to people who violate other policies and laws in Washington County. Just ask the Quorum Court to retroactively excuse them.
It all really doesn't pass the smell test.
"What's the point of having a handbook and rules if we aren't going to follow them?" Justice of the Peace Daniel Balls, a Democrat, asked.
The proposal to give Lloyd's hiring the Quorum Court's blessing will return for consideration in March.
As we noted, this isn't about Lloyd. It's about how Wood runs the county judge's office. Despite his promotion of ethical leadership in the campaign, Wood seems to struggle applying it on a day to day basis.
As for Lloyd's husband, the justice of the peace, the question arises about whether he should vote on any matters related to his wife's duties for the county. An administration and justice of the peace interested in clear ethical boundaries would say absolutely not. Roddy Lloyd said he didn't see any conflict with his wife's position. Naturally. A different stance could cost her $53,000 a year.
At the least, Roddy Lloyd should recuse from any votes related to Sharon Lloyd's activities with the county.
Even more preferable is a county government operating so transparently, so above board, so ethically, that nobody can even raise these questions.
So far, the people of Washington County haven't seen that from Joseph Wood.
Commentary on 02/20/2017