Faulkner County Reports

Accountability, Ethics, & Transparency in Government

Funding the Public Defender the Right Way

Published · Updated

We talk a lot about transparency in government, but seldom does an example of a lack of transparency present itself as loud and clear as the obfuscation surrounding funding for the 4% raise for Faulkner County employees.

Let’s start off by stating in no uncertain terms that providing a raise for county employees is not the subject here; it is the underhanded way in which the Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, JP John Pickett (D, Dist. 11), moved it forward.

Given the close communication between Pickett and County Judge Jim Baker, we have no doubt that Baker knew what was going on. We also believe that most of the Budget and Finance Committee did not know that the major portion of the employee raise would be funded by a $250,000 turn back to County General by Circuit Clerk Crystal Taylor’s office.

We wonder where the County will get the money next year, but that’s a whole other question.

There was also what those in the audience perceived as a hostility to law enforcement by Justice Pickett during the 2019 budget deliberations. When he communicated with anyone else in the audience or on the Committee, he was curt but polite and respectful. He was certainly curt to the Sheriff’s representative, but was neither polite nor respectful.

Even though other options were presented, Pickett chose to fund a new request by the Public Defender’s office out of the Criminal Justice sales tax, which would have required that the Sheriff’s Office reduce their budget (already strained by previously requested cuts) by an additional $60,000.

JPs Randy Higgins (R, Dist. 2) and Steve Goode (R, Dist. 3) questioned this funding option but whenever pressed on the issue, Pickett insisted the Criminal Justice sales tax fund should pay for the Public Defender’s position. The Sheriff’s representative went so far as to quote state law that controls funding for the Public Defender office, but Pickett still insisted that funding come from Criminal Justice.

We are appreciative of the full Quorum Court that did the right thing by funding the Public Defender office from the existing revenue stream with any shortfall coming out of County General — seemingly not Pickett’s way, but that’s the right way.