Budget chief Sharp fired; agency silent

He was in state post 4 years

Brandon Sharp (right), state budget administrator for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, along with Deputy Director Tim Leathers (middle) and John Shelnutt, answers questions in this file photo. Brandon Sharp was terminated Monday afternoon.
Brandon Sharp (right), state budget administrator for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, along with Deputy Director Tim Leathers (middle) and John Shelnutt, answers questions in this file photo. Brandon Sharp was terminated Monday afternoon.

The state's budget administrator, Brandon Sharp, was terminated Monday afternoon by state Department of Finance and Administration Director Larry Walther, Walther said Tuesday.

Walther declined to say why Sharp was fired, calling it a personnel matter.

He said Sharp's termination is unfortunate and "not political."

Sharp declined to comment Tuesday on his removal.

Sharp had held the job since July 2011 and earned $101,077 per year, according to the state's transparency website. Sharp replaced longtime budget administrator Mike Stormes, who had served in the job since 1989.

A copy of Sharp's personnel file wasn't available Tuesday, according to the finance department. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sent a request under the state Freedom of Information Act to review its contents.

Along with the finance department director and deputy director, the state's budget administrator presents the details of the governor's proposed state budgets to state lawmakers and makes pitches for the governor's proposals.

The budget administrator also heads the department's Office of Budget, which is responsible for ensuring that the state keeps a balanced budget as required by state law. The office also implements annual operations plans for state agencies, prepares the state's proposed budgets and provides technical and fiscal expertise to the various branches and agencies of government, according to the office's website.

Walther said he had notified Gov. Asa Hutchinson of his decision. Through a spokesman, Hutchinson declined to comment.

"No decision has been made on who is the replacement," Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis said when asked whether Hutchinson's budget director and former Rep. Duncan Baird, R-Lowell, would replace Sharp.

Baird is a former co-chairman of the Arkansas Legislature's Joint Budget Committee who lost his bid for the Republican nomination for treasurer in May 2014. He makes $89,999 in his current job. Some lawmakers had urged Hutchinson to place Baird in charge of the finance department, but Hutchinson selected Walther, a former state economic development director, instead.

After he was selected to replace longtime department Director Richard Weiss, who retired in January, Walther said he would retain Sharp as well as Deputy Director Tim Leathers.

At that time, Walther said Weiss has "a wonderful organization established over there. There is a great team. I don't see any changes."

House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, said Tuesday afternoon that he didn't know that Sharp had been terminated.

Sharp's termination comes as the state prepares for a special session of the Legislature.

Hutchinson is expected to issue a proclamation today for a special session starting Tuesday so lawmakers can consider authorizing a state bond issue for an economic development project in Camden and possibly a few other matters, several lawmakers said.

"My knee-jerk reaction is it wouldn't [affect the special session]," Gillam said.

Joint Budget Committee Co-Chairman Sen. Larry Teague, D-Nashville, said he enjoyed working with Sharp and "I don't know what happened" regarding Sharp's termination.

Sharp's termination comes as he awaits trial on a charge of boating while intoxicated.

Sharp was arrested June 1, 2014, and released after a $1,000 surety bond was posted, according to court records.

He pleaded innocent June 12. Sharp missed a March 11 court appearance before Judge Ralph Ohm in Garland County District Court and an arrest warrant was issued, court records say. The warrant was recalled April 2.

According to court records, Sharp has two prior convictions. In June 1997, he was found guilty of DWI in Little Rock. In October 1999, Sharp was found guilty of a North Little Rock DWI that occurred in March of that year.

Sharp's attorney, James Pratt of Camden, did not comment on the firing.

Metro on 05/20/2015

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