Arkansas counties
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Arkansas has 75 counties.
County website evaluations
- Main article: Evaluation of Arkansas county websites
- Only one of the 75 counties posts its county budget online (Benton.)
- 6 counties include information on their websites about public government meetings.
- 24 include information about the county's elected officials.
- 14 include information about the county's administrative officials.
- 2 counties give information about permits and zoning in the county.
- 0 of the counties put information on their websites about audits that the county government has had performed.
- 0 counties give information about their contracts with county vendors.
- 0 county websites disclose whether or not they belong to any government sector lobbying associations.
- 0 counties provide information on how to request public records using the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
- 6 county websites provide some information about county taxes.
Counties without websites
As of early January 2009, 49 of Arkansas's 75 counties had no website.
County politics
Each of the 75 counties has a county judge, who services as the chief executive officer of the county. Counties have several other countywide office holders including a quorum court (legislative body) that is made up of justices of the peace elected from single-member districts.
Services that Arkansas counties are required to provide are:
- The administration of justice through the courts.
- Law enforcement and operation of the county's jail.
- Real and personal property tax administration, including assessments, collection, and custody of tax proceeds.
- Court and public records management.
- Required services as prescribed by state law provided through the various elected county officers or departments of county government such as providing and managing a county road system, elections and financial management.[1]
Executive officers
Each county elects nine executive officers and a countywide legislative body called the Quorum Court.
The nine elected officials are:
- County judge.
- County sheriff.
- County clerk
- Circuit clerk
- County collector
- County assessor
- County treasurer
- County coroner
- County surveyor (not all counties do elect a surveyor)
Some offices can be combined in one office-holder. County clerk/circuit clerk, sheriff/collector, and treasurer/collector are some common combinations.
Quorum Court
The legislative body of each county is called a Quorum Court. It is composed of 9, 11, 13 or 15 members, depending on the county's population, who are referred to as Justices of the Peace. These justices of the peace are elected by district.
The Quorum Court has these duties:
- Levy of taxes in manner prescribed by law.
- Appropriate public funds for the expenses of the county in a manner prescribed by ordinance.
- Preserve the peace and order and secure freedom from dangerous or noxious activities; provided, however, that no act may be declared a felony.
- For any public purpose, contract, or join with another county, or with any political subdivision or with the United States.
- Create, consolidate, separate, revise, or abandon any elected office or offices except during the term thereof; provided, however, that a majority of those voting on the question at a general election have approved said action.
- Fix the number and compensation of deputies and county employees.
- Fix the compensation of each county officer with a minimum and maximum to be determined by law.
- Fill vacancies in elected county offices.
- Provide for any service or performance of any function relating to county affairs.
- Exercise other powers, not inconsistent with law, necessary for effective administration of authorized services and functions.
List of counties
External links
- Arkansas Association of Counties
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
- County employee salaries
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