The Benton County Quorum Court's Public Safety Committee met on Tuesday night, Aug. 30, seeking public comments on the question of where to locate a new courts complex. It would be ideal if we could have a county-wide vote on where any new facilities for the circuit courts should be located. This is probably not a topic on the priority list of most residents of the county, but it quite possibly should be. Most of would us prefer to not have occasion to visit the courts regardless of the location because of the reasons for being there, unless it is a social call, are usually not like going to Crystal Bridges -- a pleasure trip.
It would appear there are two forces, tugging in opposite directions, currently affecting the choice of a location. Our current county judge has made his position clear -- building a new courts building on county-owned property near the jail, with ample room for growth and parking. That seems the most practical choice for now and looking into the future. As a resident of rural Benton County who hopefully will not need to attend a session of any of the circuit courts, that seems to me to be one of those "no brainer" choices.
The county judge feels so strongly about his position that it actually became a campaign issue in the Republican Primary election for the office of the county judge. His opponent, the winner of the Republican Primary, tried to make county roads the central issue of the election. Roads were not a major factor -- the roads in the county might be in the best condition overall that we have experienced in years. With his construction background, Judge Clinard is well prepared to deal with issues like roads. The ultimate winner, Justice of the Peace Barry Moehring, with a background in marketing might not be so well prepared to further improve an already functioning Road Department. I would suggest that the newly elected Republican candidate will win in November because the Downtown Bentonville interests want to build a facility to house the judges and other associated court functions downtown. That might be great for businesses in the downtown area, but I question how good it will be for other county residents.
It appears every effort is going to be made to overcome any obstacles that stand in the way of the downtown choice. If money can provide an avenue to keep it downtown, there seems to be plenty of that available through the downtown business interests which include the Walton interests.
Whether the final decision will be based on your and my desire, depends on how we feel about the location. If we are called to jury duty, or have other occasion to visit the circuit courts, where we would prefer to go does come into play. Your desire might conflict with mine, but that is what our nation is all about. However, either way you and I need to advise our Justice of the Peace -- our Quorum Court representative -- of our view, if we want to participate in the choice. Our nation is referred to as a Representative Democracy. We elect a person to represent us at various levels of government and trust them to protect our interest in issues of this kind. In the nation's capital -- Washington, D.C. -- we know there are lobbyists who represent both sides or interests, of every issue. The successful, best funded lobbyist usually wins. Since the downtown Bentonville interests are supporting a location that favors their interests, and there is no organized effort to support building on the county property southwest of downtown, that I am aware of, we as individuals must make our views -- pro or con -- known to our Justice of the Peace.
Think about it, consider your options, and follow your conscience as I must also.
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Editor's note: Leo Lynch is an award-winning columnist. A native of Benton County, he is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Editorial on 09/07/2016