It's Christmas time in South Arkansas! In short order 2024 will be nothing more than history.
Speaking of history, Jefferson County continues to be a hot bed of interesting and curious activity surrounding procurement year after year.
Invoices obtained by the Reckoning show a pattern of financial transactions concerning Christmas holiday decorations.
In 2021, Jefferson County paid Enchanting Events and Rentals $7,840.14.
In 2022, Christmas decorations at the Jefferson County Courthouse substantially increased.
An invoice obtained by the Reckoning dated Dec. 7, 2022, from Enchanting Events and Rentals valued at $35,000 — a significant increase from the year before.
According to the invoice Lights by Sparky was the installer for a fee of $23,092. The invoice by Enchanting Events and Rentals also lists other charges to Jefferson County: “Expenses $914.63, County Expenses $2,280.28, Decor Fee $8,713.09”. The total? $35,000.
The Reckoning reached out to Lights by Sparky owner John Wilson to inquire about the services his company provided.
Wilson provided the following invoice from the work his company performed in November 2022.
Wilson told the Reckoning he was contacted by Jennifer Jones of Enchanting Events and Rentals in 2023 to provide his services once again for Christmas decorations. Wilson told the Reckoning that he offered to contract directly with the county.
According to Wilson, he didn't get paid for his 2022 work on the courthouse until 2023.
“It took me forever to get the money paid,” Wilson said.
Wilson has been in business for 24 years.
“I usually get a signed order from a judge or mayor, a work order. She said, ‘Nope, he won't do it.’ I can tell you her name is Jennifer Jones. ‘He isn't going to do it. You are going to have to go through me.’
“I said, ‘Okay, I need something from you signed.’ She would never do it.”
Wilson said Jones called him in 2023 in “probably September or October” and wanted him to work again on the courthouse.
“I said, ‘Jennifer, I don’t trust you. I know Jefferson County has money problems, $23,000 is a lot of money to me. I don’t know if I want to do it again.”
The Reckoning asked Wilson for a timeline of his interactions with Jones after receiving payment for the work he performed in 2022.
Wilson sent the following response:
“On 9/13/23 I told Jennifer Jones via text after our planning meeting that these custom light post would be like $400 each. She said she wanted them in warm white at 2:28 PM on that day I said just to put in writing how many do you want for Jefferson County? They are 450 each after shipping. The next text I sent said I also need to get something signed by you and the judge about how and when payment will be made at 3:04 PM she replied back that she wanted 8 light posts. On September 18, 2024. I gave her the name and number of the current installer so she could rent the metal trees from him And I still do the lights for the courthouse.
We were supposed to meet on October 7, 2023. we didn't meet I had an appointment I couldn't get out of. We did meet on October 13, 2023 for another planning session. on November 3, 2023 I sent an invoice for the lamp post and she immediately texted me and said why did you send the invoice we have nothing signed. She said when we talked in person on 10/13, she consistently told me that she wanted to cancel the Light post which she did not. I responded via text that they were ordered on 9/13 & They were nonrefundable. She fired me because of this and hired the guy who does the Trees who has never done Lights before he did the job in 2023. On July 24 of 2024 She texted me again to hire me for Lights for the season 2024. when we talked on the phone I told her I did not want her business. It just wasn't worth it.”
Wilson provided a copy of the invoice concerning the lampposts he purchased for Jefferson County.
In 2023 Christmas was again a hot commodity in Jefferson County with multiple invoices related to holiday lighting and decor.
In an invoice dated Dec. 5, 2023, S&D Electric LLC invoiced County Judge Gerald Robinson for a total of $4,343.20 to “install power on the west end of building for Christmas lights-11/29/2023.” That invoice was authorized for payment on Jan. 1, 2024. See below.
Enchanting Events and Rentals invoice number 0013 was sent to Robinson on Dec. 1, 2023, in the amout of $1,808.26 for “Expenses and Hours.” Curiously, this invoice was authorized for payment on Nov. 7, 2023. See below.
December 1, 2023, was apparently just like Christmas morning for Enchanting Events and Rentals in Jefferson County as Robinson received consecutive invoices from the business.
The second invoice appearing on Dec. 1, 2023, from Enchanting Events and Rentals was invoice number 0014. The Jefferson County Judge's office received that invoice for: “1. Outdoor Christmas Lights Installation $19,154.00, 2. Expenses $382.34, 3. Metal Lighted Christmas Trees $1500.00, 4. HOURS $8,963.50.”
The total? $29,999.84
Curiously, this Dec. 1, 2023, invoice was authorized for payment on Nov. 6, 2023, according to the document. See below.
Using basic math skills and a trusty calculator, it was easily determined that Jefferson County paid a total of $36,151.30 for holiday lights, decor and other preparations for Christmas in 2023.
In an invoice obtained by the Reckoning for Christmas lights and decor for 2024, Enchanting Events and Rentals invoiced the Jefferson County Judge on Dec. 9, 2024. That invoice number is 0017 for “1. Outdoor Christmas Light Installation Courthouse $25,378.00, 2. Expenses $3,082.71, 3. Metal Lighted Christmas Trees $1,020.00, 4. HOURS $5,519.15.” The 2024 cost for Christmas light and decor was $34,999.86 with the county authorizing payment on Dec. 10, 2024. See below.
The Reckoning received a six-page signed copy of the “General Service Proposal” dated Sept. 26, 2024, between Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson and Enchanting Events and Rentals Jennifer Jones, with a file mark date of Dec. 10, 2024, outlining the “Services Provided” for the $34,999.86 invoice for year 2024. See below.
“As a steward of taxpayer dollars, it is deeply concerning to witness fiscal mismanagement and the apparent disregard for statutory bidding processes within Jefferson County,” Reginald Johnson, a Jefferson County Justice of the Peace, told the Reckoning. “Lavish expenditures on Christmas décor, exceeding legal thresholds without proper oversight, highlight a troubling pattern of prioritizing personal relationships over responsible governance. The misuse of public funds undermines trust and places an undue burden on the taxpayers of our county. Accountability and transparency must remain our guiding principles to restore confidence in the integrity of our government.”
According to Arkansas law specifically 14-22-101 (1) a commodity is defined as:
“Commodities" means all supplies, goods, material, equipment, machinery, facilities, personal property, and services other than personal services, purchased for or on behalf of the county”
Wouldn't a company that is contracted to install Christmas Lights and decor be providing a service?
Going further Arkansas law seems to require bids when the purchase of a commodity or service exceeds $35,000.
See Arkansas code 14-22-102 (a) (b) below:
(a) It is unlawful for a county official to make a purchase with county funds in excess of thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000), unless the method of purchasing prescribed under this chapter is followed.
(b) This chapter does not apply to a purchase under thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000) or to the purchase of commodities under § 14-22-106.
According to Arkansas Code 14-22-104 (a) (1) (2) (3) solicitation of bids are required unless exemptions exist see below.
“(a) A purchase of a commodity made by a county purchasing official with county funds, except those specifically exempted by this chapter, shall be made as follows:
(1) Formal bidding is required in each instance in which the estimated purchase price equals or exceeds thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000);
(2) An open market purchase may be made of a commodity if the purchase price is less than thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000); and
(3) A purchasing official shall not parcel or split any items of commodities or estimates with the intent to change the classification or to enable the purchase to be made under a less restrictive procedure.”
Justice of the Peace Alfred Carroll said he just didn't understand the expense when the county has financial problems.
“The courthouse is closed all week so there's not a lot activities that I know of to allow the public or employees to even enjoy the decorations,” Carroll said.
“We didn't have one activity for Memorial or Veterans Day to recognize our veterans. I just don't understand the logic of spending the money for this.
“I don't know where the money came from for the lights even with the scrutiny he [Robinson] is receiving from other elected officials including the AG and the Legislative Audit.
“He seems unphased by all of it and that further makes it difficult for the Quorum Court to work with him.”
Justice of the Peace Lloyd Franklin said Jefferson County needs to return to simpler times.
“I remember a time when County Judge's upheld community tradition,” Franklin said. “Christmas decorations at the courthouse were more community-focused and modest. Maintenance staff would hang the lights, and the Christmas tree for the Rotunda was either donated or funded through the recycling program. Local elementary school children crafted custom ornaments, which they proudly brought to the courthouse to decorate the tree themselves while singing Christmas carols.
“Unfortunately, the situation has drastically changed. A once-cherished childhood tradition, rooted in community and family values and fostering a sense of responsibility in students to decorate Jefferson County's main Christmas tree, has now become a thing of the past. In a time when there are so few activities to engage the youth in Jefferson County, it’s disheartening to see this tradition abandoned, particularly when it is at the expense of taxpayer dollars.
“The county now every year spends an exorbitant amount on Christmas decorations, awarding contracts to one of County Judge Robinson's colleagues. The cost has ballooned to the point where it rivals the salary of a county employee who was laid off in previous years. At some point, this level of spending and questionable dealings must stop. Jefferson County needs relief from this pattern of entanglement and shady business practices.”
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