HEBER SPRINGS — County Judge Claude Dill announced his resignation as Cleburne County judge on April 9. Dill’s last day in his current position will be Thursday, June 30.
Dill, who served as Cleburne County judge for 18 years and cited health reasons for his need to retire, said the decision was one of the hardest he has ever made.
“I’ve always worked for the people,” he said.
Raised in Ida, Dill spent two years in the U.S. Army before returning to the Heber Springs area. Dill is credited with turning the county around financially and staying calm in the face of stressful situations throughout the county.
Jim Jackson, director of the Cleburne County Office of Economic Development, called Dill one of the most composed men he knows.
Now, the Cleburne County Quorum Court looks toward the future.
Garry Sutherland, District 1 justice of the peace, said that after about four months on the court, he’s still figuring things out but is positive about the future.
“I feel like we can pick up and go on with it,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of good people in place in the system, and we’ll be all right.”
Sutherland said he thinks the biggest issue right now for the county is the economic situation, and believes it will continue to be a problem.
“We are still losing jobs,” he said. “And with fuel prices like they are, I don’t think people have the tax dollars to spend to bring money into the county like we need to.”
Jackson has worked with Dill for many years and said he will continue to work hard on economic-development issues throughout the county.
“His retirement will probably affect morale as much as anything,” Jackson said. “We will all have to pick up some slack in the office.”
County officials are unsure who will be appointed to replace Dill, but some, like Jackson, are already looking forward to the next election.
“I plan on running for that office,” Jackson said. “I have planned on it for a couple of years with Judge Dill’s encouragement. But for now, I plan to continue doing my job as economic developer and do my best to get some jobs into Cleburne County.”
A retirement reception for Dill is planned for Tuesday, June 28, at Arkansas State University-Heber Springs. Jackson said he anticipates a large crowd at the event.
“Folks from all over the county will be there, plus a lot of the vendors and agencies he’d dealt with over the years,” Jackson said. “He’s been doing this a long time, so he’s met lots of friends.”