PEA RIDGE — An abstention from a vote counts neither an affirmative nor negative. Alderman Jack Kelly shared an opinion from the state attorney general to affirm that.

At the January meeting of the council, Kelly reaffirmed the statement he read at the Dec. 30 meeting and requested that it be in the December minutes.

The question originally arose when an abstention during the September meeting was counted as an affirmative by the city attorney.

The issue was again debated at the November meeting, when city attorney Howard Slinkard said that the vote was on a recommendation, not on passing an ordinance and thus had not bearing on the outcome of the ordinance passage.

At the November meeting, Kelly said: “There was a vote that was erroneously passed ... I don’t appreciate my integrity being questioned.”

News, Pages 1 on 02/02/2011