12/28/10

Arkansas

COUNTY FACTS

There are 75 Counties in the State of Arkansas which vary from the rich Delta farmlands of the Mississippi River valley to the rolling hills and gently sloped mountains of the Ozarks and Ouachitas are profiled in these pages. The counties are governmental slices of the same pie, all part of the state of Arkansas but separately governed at the local level. Each county has a county judge, who is the chief executive officer of the county, as well as several other countywide office holders including a quorum court (legislative body) made up of justices of the peace elected from single-member districts.

Click the text links below to navigate through the counties.

The History of the Association of Arkansas Counties

The Association of Arkansas Counties was founded in 1968. The first President was A.A. "Shug" Banks, Mississippi County Judge. Membership started out very slowly, but over the years, Association of Arkansas Counties membership of Arkansas Counties has been 100% since 1988. Dues are voluntary and are based on 1% of the County's General Turnback.

The Association originally rented office space across the street from the State Capitol with four full-time employees. In 1979, Association of Arkansas Counties bought property down the street, one block from the Capitol, and built a 3600 square foot office building. Construction and renovation began in 1996 to expand the present headquarters and now the Association occupies over 13000 square feet with meeting space for 250 and currently has thirteen full-time employees.

In 1985, Association of Arkansas Counties added a Workers' Compensation Trust for counties and in 1986 a Risk Management Fund. Both programs are immensely popular with the counties of Arkansas and completely self-funded and self-administered. AAC also endorses a Drug Testing Program for county Commercial Drivers' License holders and a Health and Hospitalization Program for county employees.

The Executive Director of AAC is Brenda Pruitt. Ms. Pruitt came to us from White County. She was appointed Executive Director in January of 2001. Prior to becoming executive director, Ms. Pruitt was the Manager of AAC Risk Management Services.

(All information is from the Association of Arkansas Counties)