Jones seeking second term as St. Francis County Judge

St. Francis County Judge Craig Jones is announcing that he will be seeking re-election to the office next year. Jones was elected in 2022 as SFC Judge after serving as the SFC Assessor for over 20 years. “Being St. Francis County Judge for the past three years has been an honor and a privilege,” said Jones. “I have learned so much these past few years and it has to be the most rewarding job I have ever had. “We have a lot of good things going on in St. Francis County and I am looking forward to continuing the work I have started,” continued Jones. “Over the past three years the county, in cooperation with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, has built parking areas in and near public lands allowing access to over 1,200 acres in Wildlife Managements Areas so the public can hunt and utilize their public property. The also county purchased two acres in Madison, on Crow Creek, making St. Francis County the only county in the State of Arkansas to offer a place for the public to hunt fossils.” “Over the past three years the St. Francis County Road Department has installed over 250 culverts, spread and delivered approximately 76,500 tons of gravel to county roads and dug over 10 miles of ditches,” Jones continued. “As judge I oversaw a $5.5 million “State Aid” project that allowed us to pave/overlay two miles of county roads at Sloniker’s Mill near Palestine. Thanks to M & T Paving and the preliminary work done by our road department, this project was the 2024 District 1 winner of the Quality Asphalt Paving Award.” Jones said that next year, the road department will lease/purchase five new road graders, two new dump trucks and two new tractor mowers to better serve the citizens of the county. This will help better maintain our roads and rights of way in the future. “Over the past three years trash pickup has improved tremendously, and the county hasn’t been weeks behind in pickup since the summer of 2023,” said Jones. “Since I have been in office the county has purchased two full-size garbage trucks and one 12-yard truck. When I first took office, we struggled to keep two trucks running and we were having to do a lot of ‘catch up’ just to get by. I am so glad we are now picking the trash up in a timely manner even though it has been a struggle, both physically and monetarily, to get to this point. I admit, it is not perfect, but it is so much better than it has been. “Commercial solid waste has actually been more of a struggle than residential solid waste and it still a work in progress,” he continued. “The cost to do commercial solid waste has gone up just like everything else in the world and we are struggling to make this department work. We raised the rates on commercial pickup, renegotiated a contract with Boar’s Head Provisions and we have taken in close to $225,000 more in 2025 than we did in 2022. I have plans in 2026 to add more revenue to commercial solid waste. I can assure you that I will work tirelessly to find a way to salvage the county’s cardboard pickup for businesses.” Jones also commented on the damage to the county’s 911 Dispatch Center during a storm in December last year. “InDecember2024 lighting struckour911DispatchCenter causingapproximately$350,000 indamagetoourequipmentand our radios,” said Jones. “We contactedWynneEmergenecy911 andlocatedthereforadayorso. Thisallowedus tocontinueto dispatchforSt.FrancisCounty andwedidn’tmissabeat.We then contacted the City of Paragould,andtheyweregracious enoughtoletususetheirmobile dispatchunit.Wehadit inplace inless thantwodaysafter the lightningstrike.Thiswasamajor event,andIamsoproudofmy staff and so thankful for the cooperationthatwereceivedfrom surrounding agencies from aroundthestate.” Jonessaidheenjoyshiswork ascountyjudgebecauseof the peopleheworkswithandmeets onadailybasis. “Themost fulfillingaspectof beingyour judgeisthegoodyou cando for people,” he said. “WhenthetornadohitWynneour roaddepartmentspentover two weekshelpingthemclear road andhauldebris.Whenatornado hitParagould,wedeliveredand loanedthemaboomtruckwhich theyusedforoveramont.With thegraciousapprovalof your QuorumCourt,wewereableto increasethebudgetof theSt. FrancisCountyFoodPantryand CareCenterbyalmost$20,000, andIwasable tonegotiatea yearly$15,000donationfrom ChalkBluffSolar totheHughes FoodPantry.Thingslikethismake all the longhoursworthevery minute.” Jonessaidheisproudof the votersforapprovingapermanent half-centsalestaxtofundcounty government. “Outofall thethings Ihave doneover the last threeyears, thereisnothingthatIamprouder of thanbeingabletoformulate andspearheadthevotetogeta one-halfcentsalestaxpassedfor county general,” said Jones. “ThankstotheQuorumCourtfor allowingmetoget thisonthe ballot lastMay.Thepassageof thissalestaxactuallyreducedthe salestaxthatyouwerecurrently payingby1/8centandwill lower themillagerateyouwillpayin 2026byonefullmill.Thesalestax has shifted the way county governmentwillbefundedfor decades tocomebyusingthe hugeasset that isInterstate40to helpfundamajorpartofour budget. “Iwashumbledandhonored that this vote passed by approximately83%of thepeople. Itwasatestament that theideaI hadallowingtravelerstofunda majorpartofgovernmentinstead ofour taxpayersresonatedwith thevotersofSt.FrancisCounty,” hesaid.“Icanassureyoucounty judges fromthis countywill appreciatetheworkwedidin gettingthistaxpassedformany yearstocome,andIwassoglada hadapartinitspassage.” Jonessaidheenjoysserving thepeopleofSt.FrancisCounty. “I lovemyjobasyourcounty judge,andithasliterallybeenmy lifesincethetimeI loweredmy handfromtakingtheoathonJan. 1,2023.All thegoodandpositive thingsIhavedonecouldnotand wouldnotbepossiblewithoutthe approvaloftheSt.FrancisCounty QuorumCourtwhohasbeen openminded,diligentandplayed amajorpart inall thatwehave done,”hesaid.“Ialsocannotsay enough about the county employeeswhoworkforyouand me.Youareonlyasgoodasyour staff,andIhaveawonderfulstaff comprisedofemployeeswhocare forthiscountythewayIcarefor thiscounty. Iwouldnothave beenable toaccomplishone thingwithout theirhardwork, andIamsoappreciativeofeach andeveryoneofthem.” Inconclusion, Jonesadded,“I wouldliketothankthepeopleof St.FrancisCountyforallowingme toserveinthiscapacity.Everyone hasbeensounderstanding,andI believethisisthebestcountyin thestate.ThecooperationIhave receivedfromthecitymayorsof thecountyhasbeenagodsend andIcouldnothavedonenearly asmuchwithout theirfriendship. I also could not have accomplishedthethingsIwanted without theadviceandguidance of JudgeGaryHugheswhowas alwaysavailabletomewheneverI neededhimtoaskquestionsand explaincircumstances thathe facedwhilehewasjudge. “Ihumblyandrespectfullyask foryourvotetocontinuetobe yourcountyjudge,”saidJones.“I believeourbetterdaysarebefore usandIaskthatyouallowmeto finishthejobthatIstarted.Thank youandGodBless."

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