Title 14 — Local Government

(a) Courts of Record. The county court shall be a court of record and shall keep just and faithful records of its proceedings. (b) Seal of the Court. The county court of each county shall preserve and keep a seal with such emblems and devices as the court deems proper. The seal s…

(a) Injunctions, Restraining Orders, and Provisional Writs. In case of the absence of the circuit judge from the county, the county court may issue injunctions, restraining orders, and other provisional writs after the action has been commenced, but not before. However, either pa…

Appeals from all judgments of the county courts may be taken to the circuit court, under such restrictions and regulations as may be prescribed by law.

This chapter constitutes the Arkansas “County Government Code”.

A county is a political subdivision of the state for the more convenient administration of justice and the exercise of local legislative authority related to county affairs and is defined as a body politic and corporate operating within specified geographic limitations establishe…

(a) Except when a specific definition is given or a technical interpretation is required, words and phrases used in this chapter shall be construed according to their ordinary usage in the English language. (b) Words in the present tense include the future tense.

(a) Unless otherwise specifically provided, when a county government is required to publish, publication shall be by a one-time insertion in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. (b) Where no newspaper of general circulation exists in a county, publication may be made…

(1) Unless otherwise specifically provided, when notice of a hearing or other official act is required by a county government, the following provisions shall apply:(1) The notice shall be published two (2) times with at least six (6) days separating each publication. The first pu…

(a) (1) Notice by mailing shall be as provided by law or the ordinance of the county quorum court providing for notice by mailing.(2) In those instances where a county government requires that notice of hearing or other official act be given by mail and the procedures therefor ar…

(a) Requirements. Whenever a petition is authorized in the conduct of county affairs, except initiative and referendum petitions as provided in §§ 14-14-914 — 14-14-918, unless the statute authorizing the petition establishes different criteria, the petition shall be valid if it …

(1) Unless otherwise specifically provided, when a county court or county quorum court is required to conduct a public hearing for the purpose of providing reasonable opportunity for citizen participation prior to any final decision by either court, the hearing shall meet the fol…

(a) (1) All meetings of a county government governing body, board, committee, or any other entity created by, or subordinate to, a county government shall be open to the public except as provided in subdivision (a)(2) of this section.(2) A meeting, or part of a meeting, which inv…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, all records and other written materials in the possession of a local government shall be available for inspection and copying by any person during normal office hours. (b) Personal records, medical records, and other recor…

(a) Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 55, § 3, established the following executive powers to be administered by the county judge:(1) To preside over the county quorum court, without a vote but with the power of veto;(2) To authorize and approve disbursement of appropriated county …

(a) Performance. The General Assembly determines that the executive powers of the county judge as enumerated in Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 55, § 3, are to be performed by him or her in an executive capacity and not by order of the county court. (b) Procedures. In the exerci…

Executive powers and duties of all county officials other than the county judge comprising the executive division of the county government shall be those established by the Arkansas Constitution and by law.

(a) (1) The county judge may promulgate reasonable and necessary administrative rules and regulations, after notice and hearing thereon, for the administration and conduct of the various laws and programs to be administered by the judge in his or her capacity as the chief executi…

(a) The General Assembly determines that all powers not vested in the county judge under the provisions of Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 55, to be exercised by the county judge as the chief executive officer of the county, shall continue to be exercised and administered by the…

Appeals by any aggrieved party from any administrative act performed, or from the nonperformance of any administrative act required by law to be performed, by the county judge acting in his or her capacity as the chief executive officer of the county, or any other elected county …

In any county in which a natural disaster, including but not limited to a tornado or flood, results in the county being declared a disaster area by the Governor, an appropriate official of the United States Government, or the county judge of the county, the county judge is author…

(a) (1) County governments in Arkansas are the repository for vast numbers of public records necessary for the regulation of commerce and vital to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the state.(2) These records are routinely kept in electronic format by the county …

(a) In the absence of an existing agreement or county ordinance, a county official may negotiate with a commercial, nonpress entity that requests public records in bulk regarding a reasonable fee for mass duplication, copying, or bulk electronic access of public records. (b) A ne…

(a) Audit reports and accompanying comments and recommendations under § 10-4-418 relating to a county shall be reviewed by the quorum court. (b) (1) The audit report and accompanying comments and recommendations shall be reviewed at the first regularly scheduled meeting following…

Revenues received by a county that contains within its boundary a circuit court composed of more than one (1) judicial district that was created by an uncodified act shall be allocated as determined by the quorum court and shall not be divided by the judicial district in which th…

(a) (1) A person elected or appointed to any of the following county offices shall not be elected or appointed to another civil office during the term for which he or she has been elected:(A) County judge;(B) Justice of the peace;(C) Sheriff;(D) Circuit clerk;(E) County clerk;(F)…

(a) A required publication made by a county in a newspaper shall include the statement “This publication was paid for by” and shall:(1) Identify the county entity responsible for payment of the publication;(2) Identify the office within the county entity responsible for payment o…

(a) Surety Bond Required. All elected or appointed county and township officers, and employees thereof, who receipt for cash funds or disburse public funds of a county by virtue of their office or employment shall obtain a surety bond. (b) Amount of Bond. (1) The amount for which…

(a) Public Trust. (1) The holding of public office or employment is a public trust created by the confidence which the electorate reposes in the integrity of officers and employees of county government.(2) An officer or employee shall carry out all duties assigned by law for the …

(a) Appropriation Required. All compensation, including salary, hourly compensation, expense allowances, training expenses, and other remunerations, allowed to any county officer, district officer, county officer-elect, district officer-elect, or employee is made only on specific…

(a) (1) The quorum court of each county shall fix by ordinance the annual salaries of the following county officers within the minimums and maximums provided in this section:(A) The county judge;(B) The sheriff and ex officio collector of taxes;(C) The collector of taxes, where e…

(a) (1) (A) The per diem compensation for justices of the peace attending any official, regular, special, or committee meeting of a quorum court shall be fixed by ordinance in each county.(B) The per diem compensation of justices shall not be less than one hundred twenty-five dol…

(a) Compensation. The quorum court of each county shall fix by ordinance the number and compensation of all county employees, including a bonus or lump-sum payment. (b) (1) County Employee Defined. “County employee” means an individual or firm providing labor or service to a coun…

(a) Reimbursement Authorized. (1) All county and district officials and authorized deputies or employees are entitled to receive reimbursement of expenses incurred in the conduct of official and nondiscretionary duties under an appropriation for the operating expenses of an offic…

(a) The quorum court of each county may provide, through specific appropriations, for a county to join, pay membership fees and service charges, and cooperate with the organizations and associations of county government of this state and other states for the advancement of good g…

(a) Upon request by the county sheriff, the county quorum court may approve and appropriate a uniform and equipment allowance for the sheriff and employees of the sheriff's department in lieu of reimbursement for actual uniform and equipment expenses. The uniform and equipment al…

(a) Beginning January 1, 2011, and on each January 1 thereafter, three percent (3%) per annum shall be added to the minimum and maximum salaries and per diems of elected county officers as a cost-of- living adjustment. (b) Beginning January 1, 2016, and on each January 1 thereaft…

(a) (1) (A) Except for those counties that operate principally on a scholastic year, or on a part-time basis, or where salaries or personal services are specifically established for a period less than one (1) year, all salaries established by the General Assembly or the governing…

(a) As used in this section, “certified county coroner” means a county coroner who has obtained a certificate of satisfactory participation and completion of medicolegal death investigation training from the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training under § 14…

(a) If the county judge and county official responsible for county payroll make the request, the quorum court by majority vote of the entire body may assign the duties relating to payroll and jury duty to a qualified private person or entity if the quorum court finds the assignme…

(a) County Officers. There shall be elected, until otherwise determined by law, in each of the several counties of this state the following county officers:(1) County Judge. (A) The county judge shall:(i) Perform the administrative and executive functions and duties, and such add…

(a) County Officers. The qualified electors of each county in this state, at the time of each regular gubernatorial election, shall elect until otherwise provided by law all county officers for the term of four (4) years and until their successors are elected and qualified. (b) Q…

All county, county quorum court district, and township officers shall be bonded as prescribed by law.

Each county, justice of the peace, and township officer, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of his or her office, shall take and subscribe to the oath prescribed in the Arkansas Constitution for officers.

(a) County Officers. All county officers shall be commissioned by the Governor in a manner prescribed by law. (b) (1) Quorum Court District and Township Officers. All township and county quorum court district officers, except constables, shall be commissioned by the Governor in a…

(a) All county, county quorum court district, and township officers shall reside within their respective townships, districts, and counties. (b) An office shall be deemed vacant if a county officer removes his or her legal residence from the county or if a district or township of…

(a) The county court shall determine the location of the office of the various county, county quorum court district, and township officers. (b) Nothing in this section, however, shall be construed to compel the county court to provide justices of the peace, constables, coroners, …

(1) A county elective, county quorum court district, or township office is vacant if any one (1) of the following conditions exists:(1) The incumbent fails to meet the qualifications for office prescribed by law as evidenced by failure to be commissioned;(2) The incumbent refuses…

(a) Conditions. The quorum court of each county shall declare a county, county quorum court district, or township office vacant where conditions of vacancy exist as demonstrated in the following manner:(1) Upon receipt of certification that a condition of vacancy exists as eviden…

(a) (1) County Elective Offices. Vacancies in all county elective offices shall be filled by the county quorum court within thirty (30) days of the declaration of the vacancy through the process of resolution as prescribed by law.(2) Eligibility Requirements and Term of Office. (…

The circuit court shall have jurisdiction, upon information, presentment, or indictment, to remove any county or township officer from office for incompetency, corruption, gross immorality, criminal conduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office.