By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
Justices of the Peace in Clark County gave quick approval to compensate road department employees who worked overtime to clear county roadways covered by a recent ice storm.
County Judge Troy Tucker didn’t have an exact dollar figure at Monday’s Quorum Court meeting, but offered an estimate of $15,000 in overtime wages.
County employees aren’t typically paid for overtime. They’re instead compensated with paid time off equivalent to 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
The judge praised the road department crews for their tireless efforts to clear the some 650 miles of county-maintained roads, some of which required numerous passes to clear the lasagna of ice, sleet and snow left in the wake of Winter Storm Fern.
Justices approved the judge’s recommendation without question. Tucker said funding would come from the county’s road department fund.
In other ice-related business, Tucker said he has met with FEMA since the winter storm, but was unsure whether the federal agency will open funding opportunities for ice-battered recoveries.
Other repairs: Time for a new courthouse clock
In recent months Tucker told the court he hoped to find funding to replace the old windows at the courthouse. However, the process is now “back to the drawing board” as a recent bid letting drew bids ranging from $200,000 upwards to nearly $1 million.
The process to replace the clock in the courthouse clock tower is back on schedule, Tucker said. Two of the clock’s faces were severely damaged in the April 2025 storms that left much of the area in its wake.
The clock was rebuilt by a company in Florida and was ready for delivery, but was delayed by the recent winter storm and sub-freezing temperatures.
Ambulance contract
Before the meeting adjourned, Justice Michael Ankton inquired whether the judge had inked a contract with Valor EMS to make it the county’s official ambulance service provider.
In September the quorum court gave its unanimous support for Valor to have the contract. Months later, the contract has yet to be signed.
Replying to Ankton—who’s seeking the county judge’s seat as a Democrat in November’s general election—Tucker said that he and Valor, along with each party’s respective attorney, met earlier in the day to hash out the contract, although he didn’t go into detail.
“We’re making a lot of progress,” Tucker said. “I think [the contract] is pretty well done. [Valor] had some concerns, we had some concerns. … I think we’ve got most of that worked out.”
Other business
Justices heard annual reports from the county Extension Service and the Economic Development Corp. of Clark County.
Justices also passed a resolution allowing Tucker to finance a 2026 Mack front-loading sanitation truck. The vehicle will be financed with Southern Bancorp for $389,500 with a 36-month buy back of $205,000.
Tucker also read proclamations for Farm Bureau Week, and another recognizing local high school chapters of Future Business Leaders of America.