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Council expands Airport Commission to seven members, approves mayoral appointments amid litigation questions
Summary
The Helena-West Helena City Council adopted an ordinance increasing Airport Commission membership from five to seven and passed a resolution appointing seven commissioners, while council members said pending lawsuits and incomplete records mean they are recognizing "holdover" status rather than ratifying prior commission actions.
The Helena-West Helena City Council adopted an ordinance on Feb. 10 to expand the Helena-West Helena Airport Commission from five to seven members and approved a mayoral slate of appointments, but councilors and the city attorney said outstanding litigation means the council is not ratifying past actions by the commission.
The council voted to adopt Ordinance No. 55Of2026, amending the municipal code to change commission membership to seven. City attorney (speaker 5) summarized the ordinance as "basic, it just changed the numbers from 5 to 7," and the roll call showed the ordinance passed on a 5–0 vote with one absence.
The council then considered a companion resolution that lists mayoral nominations and establishes staggered terms: Joe High (one year), William Brothers (two years), John King (three years), Mike Green (four years) and three five-year terms (Paul Rodeo, Sapura Monday and Eddie Shifler). Speaker 5 said the resolution "does not ratify any action" of the commission but recognizes commissioners as "holdovers" under Article 19 §5 of the Arkansas Constitution while the city gathers more information.
City attorney (speaker 5) outlined pending litigation that the council said informs its caution: two separate lawsuits were described — one filed in Pulaski County by a plaintiff alleging unlawful exaction and improper spending, and a separate Phillips County suit filed by Edward Shifler against Joseph Whitfield. "That lawsuit is about illegal exaction, and it's, the lawsuit alleges that the city has not, the commission is not a commission," the city attorney said, noting that details and jurisdictions differ between the cases.
Several council members pressed for more information before taking broader action. One council member (speaker 3) said some questions are improper for public session because they would concern litigation; the city attorney advised that councilors refer follow-ups to private conversations to avoid compromising the city's position. Nonetheless, the resolution recognizing holdover appointments passed on voice vote after roll call confirmation.
The council did not ratify past commission decisions and directed city staff to supply additional documentation and legal context before considering any ratification or further action.
Next steps: staff was instructed to return with the requested litigation information and any records necessary to evaluate prior commission actions, and the council will consider formal swearing-in and notices to the new appointees once outstanding questions are addressed.
