A large crowd filled the courtroom in Berryville for the March 17 quorum court meeting, and the overflow audience spilled out into the hallway. A decision by County Clerk Connie Doss to close the office in Eureka Springs provoked the response.
During an extended public comments period, a series of speakers took nearly an hour to complain that visitors coming to town for a destination wedding would not want to drive to Berryville for a marriage license. Although the number of marriage licenses issued in the Western District has declined significantly, speakers asked to keep the clerk’s office open there.
The agenda included an item to transfer a staff member from the Eureka Springs office back to Berryville. That item was tabled, but several justices of the peace addressed the issue. JP Craig Hicks serves on the budget committee and suggested a possible partnership with the City of Eureka Springs. JP Jack Deaton said picking up a marriage license somewhere else would be “a minor thing.” He also noted the challenges of access at the Eureka Springs courthouse.
JP Gary Capcik said he would like to review the numbers to see what effect closing that office would have on Eureka Springs. “We’re here to manage the budget of this county for the greatest benefit of all the people of this county,” he said, “but we’re not here to solve individual problems.” Capcik pointed out that none of the speakers had suggested any alternatives. “I’d like to see some give and take,” he concluded.
JP Kellie Matt said a marriage license is “the smallest thing” in preparing for a wedding. She said the effects of closing the Eureka Springs office are “over-rated.” Matt also pointed out the relative ease of obtaining a license in Carroll County. Benton County requires an appointment for issuing a marriage license, and the clerk’s office in Hot Springs does not open on Saturdays.
Before leaving the topic, Deaton complimented those who sent emails to JPs on this topic. He contrasted those emails to messages received during the debates over wind turbines, which took a much harsher tone.
In other business:
- State Sen. Bryan King spoke during public comments and said the turn-back rate from the state to counties declined from almost five percent to 3.3 percent in 20 years. King suggested that tax dollars would be better spent at the local level than in the state legislature. He also warned of further incursions by the crypto-mining industry. During JP comments at the end of the meeting, JP Hunter Rivett agreed with the importance of preparing to fight incursions by data centers.
- Susan Baumert, a resident of Carroll Road 3027, had spoken at previous quorum court meetings about the lack of maintenance on her road. She continues to maintain that the Road Dept. should treat the road like other county roads, although it is classified as a public road in documents at the office of the county judge. The judge has discretion over whether or not to maintain a public road.
- Bobby Wilson has spoken against wind turbines in the past and asked why the wind turbine project south of Green Forest can violate state or local laws. He specifically mentioned the lack of warning lights on the towers and excessive traffic disruption in the delivery of components.
- A resolution authorized the county judge to apply for a Community Project Funding Request Grant for fiscal year 2027. The grant would provide up to $197,000 for a whole-body scanner for the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Hicks, a Berryville police officer, said the scanner would be a “great asset” at the CCSO, and would keep people from hiding items on their person.
- An ordinance acknowledged and appropriated $15,000 in donations received for a juvenile probation grant.
* An ordinance appropriated $30,000 carried over from last year into the CCSO’s leased vehicle fund.
* An ordinance reimbursed funds to the budget of the circuit clerk, after a software provider was paid twice for a $17,000 bill.
* JP Matt Phillips reminded the other JPs of a Fly-In breakfast event on the morning of March 21.