Confusion at the Courthouse

Miscommunication on deadline leads to filing frenzy for candidates

By JOHN RECH

news@theeveningtimes.com

County Clerk Paula Brown took responsibility for a SNAFU (situation normal, all fouled up) concerning the candidate filing date for municipal elections. Under the direction of Brown the County Clerk Office spread word during the shortened Memorial Day week in certain political circles of a pending filing deadline. Beginning Tuesday May 26 the clerk told certain city leaders the cutoff loomed just 36 hours away at noon Thursday May 25. The short notice left some candidates aspiring for re-election without notice.

The real filing deadline published by Secretary of State was August 5. As for the source of the mistake the county clerk fessed up.

“It came from me, my office, here,” said Brown on Friday afternoon in her office.

Had the false filing date been real, open offices with no candidates running would

See CLERK, page A3

BROWN CLERK

From page A1

have been seen in every city and town in the county. In fact, no one from Marion led for any city race. West Memphis city hall ofcials knew about Brown’s deadline and made pleas for candidates to le.

West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon posted on his social media Wednesday night with just four business hours to go under Brown’s deadline.

“If you ever wanted to be a voice for your city and make a difference! It’s time to run for city council! File now” West Memphis Communication Director Nick Coulter wondered in a text message Wednesday, May 27, “Do you know if the state extended the ling date; Tomorrow is the last day to le for the November election.

Both the county clerk and the West Memphis city administration panicked and failed to verify the surprise date. Inquiries to the secretary of state, the state or county election commission, or the county attorney could have set thing right, eliminated the confusion and embarrassment of pursuing the wrong date.

For one elected ofcial the mistake seemed much more than an innocent display of incompetence. West Memphis Ward 3 Councilman Wayne Croom learned about the supposed deadline after time expired on Thursday afternoon.

“I couldn’t sleep Thursday night,” said Croom. “I didn’t understand how I could have not heard about this deadline in time to act, especially when someone led for the Ward 3 seat that is related to someone in the county clerk’s ofce. It seemed like something very unfair had been attempted.”

Croom spent Friday morning doing something the mayor and clerk had failed to do. He diligently pursued looking up the ling date himself. He saw the Secretary of State election information that put the ling deadline date at August 5. Croom called a county election ofcial to reconrm. He took a call of reassurance from Ward 2 Councilman James Pulliaum that that Brown’s date was an error, but he still had a problem.

“I have people calling me wondering why I didn’t want to run again,” said Croom in an interview. “It’s like my dedication to the city had come into question. I had to start telling everyone it was a mistake by the county clerk.”

Brown outlined her to do list to set things right.

“I need to contact all the candidates and tell them their ling was too early and destroy their applications,” said Brown.