Carroll County is special, and people are drawn to it for many reasons. I was raised just across the state line in Carr Lane. I married my wife in 1988 in Oak Grove, and we have called Carroll County home ever since. My parents live here, my siblings live here, and my son, his wife, and my grandbaby all live here.
I believe in Carroll County and the good people who still call on their neighbors, lend a helping hand, and believe this is the best place to call home.
The past three years have been a whirlwind of issues dominated by the wind turbines. I have never said I was a supporter of the wind turbines, but I have always supported the right of landowners to do what they want on their own property. They signed leases with Scout on their own. Most of these leases were signed long before I became judge.
Former County Judge Richard Williams has made accusations about me and other elected officials for the last three years. He had the opportunity to stop the wind farms when he was County Judge. He has said, “Yes, they came to my office several times,” yet he chose to do nothing and say nothing to the JPs or to the people of Carroll County. That was the time when they could have been stopped, not all these years later.
I chose to enter into a Road Use Agreement to protect the roads used by Scout. I asked Scout if not entering into an RUA would stop the project. “No… it will not,” was their answer. It was common sense to require Scout to fix and maintain the roads they are using without using your tax dollars, not to mention the $1,000,000 bond to protect us should they “walk away.”
A statement made by Mark Whitmore, Chief Legal Counsel for the Association of Arkansas Counties, has called these attacks unprecedented, saying, “It’s bullying, plain and simple. I have never seen this level of harassment upon a County Judge.”
As for grading private roads, the use of county funds to maintain private roads is illegal in Arkansas, as it violates state law. Responsibility for maintaining a private road rests on the property owners who use it. My opponent has said I have made roads private. The records prove I have not removed or added any roads since I have been in office.
My opponent has also said the money the county used to explore the possibility of a new courthouse could have been used to fix roads. That money was never allocated for roads. I cannot simply do whatever I want with the county’s money.
My opponent says she has a plan for county roads, permanent solutions, not temporary fixes. Roads will always have potholes to fix and will always need ongoing maintenance. There is no permanent fix for roads. In her defense, I’m not sure she has ever worked on or managed roads.
I have a Road Foreman with over 30 years of experience, a Road Department Secretary with 20 years of experience, and an Administrative Assistant with 15 years of experience. I have a team that wants to see Carroll County through another term.
The county elected officials and I have worked extremely well together to face the challenges before us today while preparing for the future. We all strive to make Carroll County an even better place to call home.
I have been attacked, sued, slandered, and bullied, yet I remain dedicated to fulfilling the oath I took on January 1, 2023. I remain steadfast to the truth and the law.
I humbly ask for your vote for Carroll County Judge on March 3rd.
The truth really does matter.