Horton, Jones seek to unseat incumbent JP Wozniak
Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008
Editor's note: This story is part of a series of stories on contested races The Daily Record will run leading up to the May 20 election.
BENTON COUNTY - The District 7 justice of the peace race pits an incumbent with six years in office against two opponents who think it is time for some new faces on the Quorum Court.
Mike Horton and Joel Jones are both looking to unseat current Justice Jim Wozniak in the May 20 Republican primary. Mike Horton Horton is a Bentonville firefighter and lifelong resident of Benton County, and he feels that it is his time to begin giving back to his community. "I've got a family, and I plan on living here and raising (my son ) here," he said.
Although he wants to see change, Horton was complimentary of the Quorum Court. "The last few years, the Quorum Court has made progress and done a lot of good things," he said.
Horton realizes, however, that any action can prompt a negative reaction. "No matter how good it is, it's always going to be negative to somebody," he said.
He feels his career has taught him how to deal with that negativity. "As a member of the Fire Department, you always work with people," he said. "You see them at their worst."
Of the issues facing the county, Horton said he would focus most on roads. "I'm all for more roads, paving roads that need to be fixed," he said. "I'd like to see more cutthrough streets. "Joel Jones Jones is a recent transplant to Bella Vista, having grown up in Little Rock, but he has invested himself in the county and is now a regular at the Quorum Court meetings. He'd like to see the court's reach scaled back, at least slightly.
"I'm a small-government guy - less government to an extent," he said. "I'd like to see us get out of people's pockets a lot and out of people's lives and off their property."
Jones wants to cut county spending, even if taxes are not cut as well, allowing for a "rainy-day fund"to help with unexpected issues like the recent flooding.
He also wants to see the nuisance ordinance revised to more clearly define the environments that are violations. "The intent is not all that bad," he said of the ordinance. "The way it's written, the definitions aren't there for'unsightly. ."
Jones was critical of the court for passing the nuisance ordinance even though some justices were critical of the language.
He also wants to see improvements to the county's road program and more measures to keep prescription drugs out of the water supply. He called Wozniak's program to burn unused drugs "fantastic."
"I live here; I work here. I'd like to see it work better," Jones said. Jim Wozniak Wozniak is running for reelection on a "commonsense"platform, which means making decisions based on the greater good, not on the opinions of individuals.
"You can't say no to everything just because you as an individual don't like it," he said. "You have to look at the whole thing."
On the nuisance ordinance, Wozniak criticized his critics. "We can agree to disagree, but once it gets passed, we need to get on the bandwagon and get it done, so shut your damn mouth," he said. The court can amend the ordinance, he said, but it must be given time for evaluation first.
Wozniak was concerned about apathy throughout the county regarding the Quorum Court, but he suspected that was because of the meeting location. "Maybe we have to take the meetings to them," he said. "There's nothing says we can't put a Quorum Court meeting in a community building."
With the incorporation of Bella Vista and the looming 2010 census that will likely decrease the county's share of sales-tax revenue, Wozniak said it is time for some creative problem solving.
"We have to find a way without raising taxes to continue to provide the same level of services," he said. "There's not going to be any more revenue sources."
Wozniak said that with several key justices and the county judge deciding not to seek re-election, this may not be the time to remove incumbents from office.
"There's going to be pretty drastic change," he said. "Maybe we should keep some of the experienced guys around just for the transition."
Coming Friday: JP District 4.
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