Faulkner County court adopts three ordinances; vote to transfer voting machines to Montgomery County fails

Faulkner County's Quorum Court passed three ordinances on routine appropriations and staff reclassifications during its February 2025 meeting, but rejected a proposal to transfer surplus voting machines to neighboring Montgomery County after discussion about local voting access.

The court approved Ordinance 25-04, an appropriation ordinance that amends Faulkner County Ordinance 24-52 and allocates grant funds, including funds tied to Judge Chuck Claussen's drug court grant and equipment for a consolidation project. The court also approved Ordinance 25-05, which reclassifies two positions and adjusts pay in the prosecuting attorney's office by shifting existing budgeted funds, and Ordinance 25-06, which reclassifies two positions in the county clerk's office using existing budgeted funds. All three ordinances were presented as not requiring new appropriations.

By contrast, Proposed Ordinance 25-07, a measure to transfer eight surplus ExpressVote machines from Faulkner County to Montgomery County, failed to reach the two-thirds threshold required under the statute governing transfers of this type. The court debated the item extensively: some members expressed concern…