Little Rock, ARK — In a dramatic turn of events, the Marion County Quorum Court voted overwhelmingly to dismiss the county’s entire library board in an 8-1 decision Tuesday night. The action follows the arrest of former Library Director Dana Scott, who faces felony charges for tampering with public records and failing to file or pay taxes.
The decision to fire the board came just days after Scott was arrested on three felony counts, which stirred concerns about the library’s financial and operational management. The arrest, along with a broader dissatisfaction with the library’s oversight, led to the swift action by County Judge Jason Stumph and the quorum court.
“We had a library and a library board that was on a little island by themselves, and they would not let anyone in, and they got what they deserved,” said Paul Ray Hudson, a resident of Marion County who spoke in favor of the board’s dismissal.
According to court documents, Scott was charged with two counts of tampering with public records and one count of failure to file or pay taxes. The arrest raised alarms about the library’s management practices, and Judge Stumph expressed concern that the library board had failed to adhere to basic financial accountability and governance policies.
At the meeting on Tuesday, Judge Stumph defended the decision to dismiss the board, stating that members had failed to properly oversee the library’s operations. “We gave the library board opportunity after opportunity to make corrections, but they wouldn’t listen to us,” Stumph said. “We just had to take action.”
One of the key reasons cited for the firing of the board was its failure to manage the library’s budget effectively. Rolin Hutching, the Justice of the Peace for District 6, who was among those voting to dismiss the board, criticized the board for focusing on salary increases for the librarian without addressing the library’s broader financial needs.
“I am for the library. I want to see the library grow, I want to see it expand. But when the budget came up, it was all about giving the librarian a raise, but there was no plan,” Hutching said.
The dismissal also appeared to be influenced by longstanding personal tensions within the county. Victoria Kelley, a local resident, pointed out the complexity of small-town politics, where personal relationships and past disputes can impact decisions. “In a small town, it’s hard to avoid personal grudges,” Kelley said. “When you’ve been engaged in verbal sparring matches or litigation with people over the years, those grudges get carried over.”
Judge Stumph acknowledged the public nature of the decision but defended the transparency, stating, “I believe the judge allowed a robust, open discussion because of the number of people that personally contacted their JPs and the media attention. That’s not a typical format for this court.”
While the quorum court’s decision was largely supported by those dissatisfied with the library’s management, it raised concerns among local patrons who rely on the library’s services. Charlee Zeissler, a mother and frequent visitor to the Yellville branch, expressed fear that the new board might cut the very programs that have become staples of the community.
“If they don’t like it, and they appoint people who also don’t like it, then they’re not going to have those programs for us anymore,” Zeissler said.
With many of the current Justices of the Peace (JPs) not seeking re-election, the responsibility of appointing new library board members now falls to their successors. Stumph emphasized that the county intends to move quickly in establishing a new board, with hopes of having appointments finalized in the coming weeks.
“We want to get the board going so we can get a new director in,” Stumph said. “If I can bring all five names forward and get them approved, we’ll have a new board.”
Despite the controversy, Stumph remained hopeful about the future. “We’re going to get this back on track,” he said. “We just need to make sure we have the right people in place.”
As Marion County moves forward with the task of appointing a new library board, the community remains divided. While some see the action as necessary to address long-standing issues of governance, others worry about the potential loss of valuable programs and services. As the dust settles, the future of the Marion County Library—and its place in the community—remains uncertain.