Faulkner County Reports

Accountability, Ethics, & Transparency in Government

JP Voters Guide 2020: Republican Rose Roland, District 5

Published · Updated

Here’s the responses to our Faulkner County Quorum Court/JP Voters Guide from Republican incumbent candidate Rose Roland in District 5.

Part 1:
Role of the Quorum Court

  1. What do you see as the main function of the Faulkner County Quorum Court? How can you contribute?

    The primary duty of the Quorum Court is to be a good steward of the taxpayers’ money, and to listen to the citizens of Faulkner County and do everything we can as a governmental body to ensure the safety and future growth of the County.

  2. Is it important to increase transparency around the actions of Faulkner County government? Why or why not?

    YES! Transparency has been much needed in Faulkner County, and I am proud to be a part of the Quorum Court that has worked hard to make all County business available online so citizens can follow how their tax dollars are being spent.

    I want our citizens to know about the laws associated with County government; they should always be “in the loop” when important announcements are made.

  3. How do you plan to best reflect the views and desires of constituents in your JP District?

    My constituents have expressed time after time that they want me to manage the County budget efficiently within the tax dollars we bring in — because they do not want tax increases. My votes as JP reflect this overall objective.

  4. What role should Faulkner County government play in the population growth of the County?

    The best thing we can do to help Faulkner County grow is to provide a safe place for people to raise their families while providing County services as efficiently as possible.

    Basic County services such as County roads, police protection, the Library, and County offices can operate efficiently without constantly raising the tax burden on our citizens.

  5. In the past, the Quorum Court has often compared Faulkner County to Class 6 counties, which are grouped together based on population alone. Should Faulkner County’s financial and tax decisions mirror those of other Class 6 counties, or should we determine our choices based on our County’s unique circumstances? Why or why not?

    As a current member of the Quorum Court, I do not like comparing ourselves to other counties in Arkansas. Why? Because in my mind, no matter what other counties do, we need to be the leader among other counties and not a follower.

    Each county has unique strengths and issues, so that grouping counties by population is useful for some comparisons. But I will vote to see Faulkner County examine tax and financial issues as our county’s circumstances and issues require, not because we have the same population as another county.

Part 2:
County Concerns And Issues

  1. Various groups and elected officials have weighed in on Faulkner County’s most pressing financial concerns. What do you think are Faulkner County’s top 3 financial issues, and how do you plan to address them?

    1. PUBLIC SAFETY – We need more officers to sufficiently protect the citizens and to keep the high crime and drugs from neighboring counties out of our County.

    Our 911 system is in need of expensive upgrades, and this must be done correctly so that when a person calls 911 they can get the help they need in a timely manner. That timely manner goes hand-in-hand with the need for more officers.

    Another major issue in our County is Animal Control.

    2. OVERSPENDING – We can do better in our County. Some departments overflow with more funds than they need. However, it takes legislation, or a reallocation of existing taxes to change that.

    3. INFRASTRUCTURE – The most important part of infrastructure is roads!

    We must maintain our excellent road system and we do have wonderful roads in Faulkner County, thanks to the people voting in a tax back in 1999. The 1999 tax was sufficiently split until the population of the county grew, but there is now a great need for more funding for public safety.

    I believe all we have to do is look within our budget and re-arrange incoming funds. We can do this without raising taxes on the hard-working people of Faulkner County, and we can do it without harming any other County Department.

    This is why I voted for the re-allocation question that will let the people decide how their taxpayer money is spent.

    It is a balancing act. We do not have to let public safety decline here in Faulkner County, nor should we allow that. But it takes funding to keep the citizens safe and it takes funding to keep the roads great.

    Roads will not suffer, but the Road Department will need to be equally responsible for efficiently operating their budget like other County Departments do. We can provide both — great roads and the desired level of public safety that our citizens deserve.

  2. Everyone has seen the news coverage of this summer’s ongoing civil unrest across the country, and Conway has already experienced a brief incident. With that ever-present threat in mind, what role should Public Safety play in the operations of Faulkner County?

    I support our local police at the city level and I support our County Sheriff’s office. Public Safety plays a large role in keeping the people and our properties safe.

    I believe in treating everyone fairly and with dignity. I also believe in law and order for the good of the community.

    I think it is my job as a JP to make sure our officers have the resources they need to maintain law and order; it’s an important part of what makes Faulkner County a wonderful place to live.

  3. Faulkner County has tried to address an ever-growing animal control issue; for years, many volunteer groups have been involved at varying levels of interest. What is the optimal solution for animal control in Faulkner County? What issues do you see that support or restrict your optimal solution?

    Funding has been an issue for Animal Control outside city limits for years. Currently there are no funds to address animal control and until there is, not much can be done.

    While there is a volunteer fund that has collected over $1.5 million in the last 12+ years, it will cover a lot but will not pay for facility operations, insurance, payroll, etc. for years to come.

    The optimal solution means funding from existing taxes collected so a plan can be put in place.

    Would it be better to partner with the Conway City Shelter much like the Conway Police partner with the County Jail, or better to build a shelter for the County only? Whatever the answer is, we have to be smart about our issues and be responsible to the taxpayer.

  4. Arkansans now have the second highest taxes in the country. Given the Arkansas Legislature’s 2019 tax increases (internet sales tax, fuel tax, electric car tax, water bill tax, cell phone tax, tobacco tax), do the citizens of Faulkner County have an appetite for higher taxes now? Why or why not?

    NO! I do not believe that hard-working Faulkner County residents want more taxes.

    Most of our County Mayors recently suggested we should increase the people’s taxes, but the Quorum Court was successful in passing an ordinance that would allow the people to reallocate our existing sales tax.

    I believe solutions such as this are the prudent thing to do. We JPs need to always be on the lookout for better and more cost-effective ways to save taxpayer money, instead of looking to do the easier thing — raise taxes.

    “Raise taxes” seems to be the first response some politicians have when they want to expand government but I think we need to live within our means, just like the citizens of our county have to do.

  5. Our 70-year-old County Courthouse needs remodeling or replacement. How would you decide whether to remodel the building or replace it?

    I believe it is important to save our legacy and heritage of Faulkner County so I would support efforts in saving the Courthouse, but I believe we have more pressing issues to deal with first.

    Yes, our County can apply for some state grant money for remodeling, but that requires us to commit to a long-term plan. We do not have enough information now to create a plan. One factor to consider is that we need to put all our County offices back together under one roof.

    After a full evaluation, we may find a new Courthouse is the best answer for county offices to come together; however, time works against us on this question because we have more pressing issues on our plate.

  6. For the past several years the Sheriff has reported to the Quorum Court that the Department is significantly understaffed, given the County’s size and growing population. How would you rank the Sheriff’s Department’s longstanding identified and documented needs along with the other financials needs in Faulkner County?

    I would rank them at the top. With all of the turmoil going on in the country, we need good public safety more than ever.

    I am proud I voted to hire 6 more deputies with the help of a federal grant — a move the Democrats fought hard against.

    In a time when people around the country and some right here in Conway are yelling “Defund the police,” I believe it is time to step up and make sure we fund the police with the resources they need to keep us safe.

    Democrats also are campaigning against public safety — instead, they want to continue to fund the County Road Department that is proven to be over-funded.

    It is just sad because Democrats are choosing roads over the safety of our citizens. It is my job as a JP to make sure Faulkner County’s citizens are provided a safe, secure environment to live in.

    Let’s just be smart about our budgeting. We can have both with no tax increases — the best public safety and the best roads for our residents and visitors!