FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County's assessor will take the place of the county judge's chief of staff in the investigation of county-built bridges, the Quorum Court voted Monday, after some members raised conflict of interest and fairness concerns.
Dan Short, chief of staff and link between County Judge Marilyn Edwards and the Road Department to be investigated, bowed out of the inquiry during Monday's Quorum Court meeting. Assessor Russell Hill, a Republican, agreed to take his place and work with Justice of the Peace Eva Madison, a Democrat, in interviewing road employees in the coming weeks.
The Quorum Court gave the plan its blessing without opposition following almost two hours of at times bitter debate over who -- within county government or otherwise -- should do the investigation to ensure it's unbiased. Rick Cochran, a Springdale Republican, wasn't present.
"I want to see this move forward," Edwards said. "I am tired of the bickering. I'm tired of people having doubts of what we're doing in the county."
Edwards first suggested an investigation last week after the state attorney general and county prosecutor both declined to investigate inadequate construction of the incomplete Stonewall Bridge near Prairie Grove and the recently finished Harvey Dowell Bridge outside southeast Fayetteville. The investigation is meant to find who made the decision to deviate from designs and why.
A lawsuit filed by an employee against Edwards and Road Department supervisors claims the officials were warned last year the bridges weren't being built with proper steel reinforcement, potentially weakening them or shortening their lifespan.
The employee, George Braswell, claims officials ignored and retaliated against him, which the county has denied. Both sides are set to meet in a settlement conference today in U.S. District Court to see if the case can be settled.
Questions of fairness arose as soon as Edwards suggested the county inquiry. Short has authority over the Road Department, Madison and others said, which could intimidate witnesses and also makes him a subject of the investigation.
"We already have an integrity problem in the Road Department -- I think we all agree on that," said Bill Ussery, a Springdale Republican who suggested replacing Short with someone outside of the county.
Short stepped down after several justices echoed the concern. The Quorum Court went with Hill partly because he was elected countywide. Hill said he would be impartial in the process.
Democrat Ann Harbison and Republican Butch Pond also questioned Madison's fairness, pointing out Madison has clashed with Edwards in other government issues.
"Eva (Madison) has got a certain way she wants this investigation to come out," Harbison said, drawing a rebuke from Edwards for the pointed accusation. "We want an investigation. We want the facts."
Madison, an attorney, said her integrity is crucial, and she has no goal but the truth. She and Hill hope to come back with a public report and transcripts of interviews within the next two weeks.
The Quorum Court also accepted the help of Carl Gales, founder of Fayetteville-based KAS Gales Consulting Engineers, as a consultant during the investigation free of charge. Harvey Bowman, a Republican justice from Springdale, said he knew Gales through Kiwanis International.
"We do a lot of service these days because we're old," Gales quipped, referring to himself and Bowman. "I think the county needs the help."
Dan Holtmeyer can be reached at dholtmeyer@nwadg.com and on Twitter @NWADanH.
A Section on 04/21/2015