BENTONVILLE — Benton County Judge Dave Bisbee will soon be under investigation by the Arkansas State Police following his decision to hire his company, Valley Homes, to perform a $15,000 remodeling job for the county.
Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Van Stone said he is in the process of referring the case to the state police, Stone said.
Stone said his office received a formal complaint requesting the investigation but declined to discuss the specifics of the complaint.
Bisbee said he is ready for the investigation.
“I welcome this investigation with open arms. I am ready to get it over with and move on,” Bisbee said.
Members of the Committee of 13 planned to discuss Bisbee’s decision to hire his company for county work during their meeting Tuesday night. News of the investigation halted that discussion.
“We have an appearance of a possible impropriety,” Justice of the Peace Dan Douglas said as the meeting opened.
“In the quest to keep government running efficiently and the fact that there is a possibility of an investigation in the future, I do not know that discussion is a good idea,” Douglas said.
Douglas motioned justices of the peace refrain from discussing the remodeling project performed by Bisbee’s company.
The motion passed unanimously.
After the meeting, it was confirmed Bisbee is under investigation.
“Mudslinging and accusations do not do any good when there is going to be an actual investigation to see if any improprieties occurred,” Douglas said.
Justice of the Peace Robert Stephenson has requested the Arkansas State Contractors Board also look into the matter, he said.
Stephenson mailed a formal complain to the board Monday, he said.
Once the complaint is received, the Contractor’s Board will be obligated to start its own formal investigation, said Burkett Wootton, a senior investigator with the board.