In 2020, political mailers, newspaper ads, and a website appeared opposing five incumbent Pope County Quorum Court Justices. These came under the names United Pope County, United for a Better Pope County, and United Pope County for Accountability.
“They” used half-truths and untruths to sully the records of the men they opposed.
Pope County deserves better than what these folks offered.
On July 5, 2018, the Quorum Court unanimously passed a resolution saying “That the voters of Pope County, Arkansas, in the November 2018 election should determine whether or not a casino is built in Pope County, Arkansas.”
(True)
“They” said,
“In 2018, voters approved an ordinance requiring a vote before a casino vendor could be approved.”
(Not quite true)
The ordinance prohibited County officials from providing support documents to a casino vendor without approval by a majority of registered voters. It would have been a vote to restrict an authority specifically assigned by the Constitution of the State of Arkansas to the County Judge and the Quorum Court.
“They” said,
In 2019, Quorum Court Justices broke their “word by supporting a deal to give one vendor a casino license, then REPEALED your right to vote.”
(False)
In 2019, Pope County officials, including the County Judge, the County Attorney, and several Justices tried to find a way to have the vote that was called for by the ordinance, conferring with the Secretary of State’s Office, the Arkansas Election Commission, and others. They learned there was NO legal way to have such a vote.
(True)
In August 2019, Pope County faced the high probability that Gulfside Casino Partnership would sue the Racing Commission (they did) and might win in court (they did and the Racing Commission did not appeal). Gulfside was eventually defeated in 2021 because the County Judge and Quorum Court decided 2 years earlier to support a different applicant. Without that decision, Gulfside would probably now have a 2nd class casino in operation on Bradley Cove Road.
On August 13, 2019, the Pope County Quorum Court passed a resolution giving support for Cherokee Nation Businesses’ (CNB) casino application and Judge Cross signed a $38.8 Economic Development Agreement with CNB.
(True)
“They” said,
“They broke the law to cut a deal….”
(False)
Allegations of “back door meetings and deals” included affidavits mostly from Citizens for a Better Pope County (CFABPC) dated August 12, 2019, 3 months after the alleged occurrence (a barbeque) and the day before CFABPC sued the County Judge and Quorum Court members. None of the accused were ever interviewed in the investigation.
Judge Pearson: “The Amended Petition provides no details about the alleged secret meetings; i.e. there is no who, what, when, where, or why illuminating which acts Plaintiffs contend violate the FOIA. Accordingly, Plaintiffs’ claim asserting a violation of FOIA is dismissed…. (October 29, 2019).
“…. then took away your vote.”
(False)
There could be NO “yes” or “no” vote on a casino since the Arkansas Constitution says there will be a casino and the Constitution trumps local law. There also could be no election to grant or withhold permission for authorities and responsibilities assigned by the Constitution to the County Judge and Quorum Court. Ordinance 2018-O-42 was subordinate to the Arkansas Constitution in every aspect. There was no legal way for it to be implemented. Repealing 2018-O-42 merely removed an invalid ordinance from the books.
So who were “they”?
The website that “they” asked you to visit for more information is gone. Searches on the names they used on the website, mailers, and ads come up empty for the most part, except for one…
United for a Better Pope County (UFABPC)
On a search of the Secretary of State’s registered “Incorporations, Cooperatives, Banks, and Insurance Companies,” UFABPC shows as a nonprofit corporation in good standing. Its address is 1310 West Main St. Suite 201, Russellville and its officers are Jim Knight, Bill James, and Cliff Goodin.
So, it appears that that “they” were another face of Citizens for a Better Pope County, the same folks who are behind
Fair Play for Arkansas-2022.
We’re not “them”