Since around 2008 mayors in Arkansas have been allowed to swear-in council members. On January 1, as in the past, mayors did their duty and gave the oath to their council members, including Alexander Mayor Paul Mitchell. While turning in the documentation to the county clerk it was learned things had changed and someone dropped the ball getting the word out.
According to Mitchell, when the documents were taken to the Saline County Clerk for filing that’s when they learned about a change in the law. Apparently, during the legislative session between January 1, 2019, the last time Mitchell swore in council members, and January 1, 2021 the law was changed to allow city recorders and city clerks to swear-in council members instead of mayors. Mitchell said the official at the county clerk’s office told the city staffer delivering the documents that Alexander wasn’t the only city in Saline County that didn’t know about the change.
Prior to the start of the January 25 council meeting Saline County Justice of the Peace J.R. Walters swore-in four of the eight council members who were able to attend the meeting. City Recorder Sharon Bankhead was absent due to a death in the family.
After the ceremony the council meeting began. Under state law the mayor can serve as a council member to make a quorum. In Alexander’s case five members are needed, which means all five must agree to pass any motion.
In the photo on the far left is Walters; seated is Juanita Wilson (Ward-2); standing behind her (L to R) are Lonny Chapman (Ward-4), Joe Pollard (Ward-1) and Harold Timmerman (Ward-3). On January 1 it was Walters who swore-in Sharon Bankhead as city recorder and JoAnn Churchill as city treasurer because mayors aren’t allowed to swear them in.
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