Boone County meets with mayors, services discussed

Published 2:21 pm Monday, September 28, 2026

Boone County held its Intergovernmental Cooperation Council meeting on Wednesday at the Government Center. Required to be held annually under A.C.A. § 14-27-101, the meeting provides an opportunity for the county and its towns and cities to identify efficiencies and eliminate duplication of services.

The council is chaired by the county judge, with other voting members made up of the mayors of the county’s towns and cities. Each member has full voting power, including the judge, who also maintains veto power. The county clerk serves as the council secretary.

Interim Judge Mitchell Archer and Judge-elect Tyler Gentry were in attendance. Harrison’s Jerry Jackson, Bergman’s Danny Farmer, South Lead Hill’s Lyna Gulledge and Zinc’s Jessica Denton were the only mayors in attendance. As such, there was no quorum, but the meeting provided a good overview of county and city services.

The following mayors did not attend:

David Meyer, Alpena
Joe Hefley, Bellefonte
Jacob Glidewell, Diamond City
Robert Jones, Everton
Cale Thompson, Lead Hill
Leslie King, Omaha
Bob Yarbrough, Valley Springs

In addition, the following Boone County service providers attended:

Sammi Roberson, NARMC president
Tim Roberson, Sheriff-elect
Nathan Jenkins, Jail Administrator
Scotty Trammell, EMS Director, NARMC
Angela Mueller, Library Director
Boone County Health Unit
Ivy Day, Administrative Assistant to the judge
Crystal Graddy, County Clerk
Donna Brahmer, Public Relations for Harrison
Thomas Creamer, Boone County Fire Coordinator

By way of cooperation, Judge Archer described a desire to combine Harrison and Boone County IT support. “That’s one of the areas we need vast improvement in…it affects everyone in this room.” There are IT personnel in each department, but they lack a cohesive leadership role or single point of contact, Archer explained.

Harrison’s IT lead, David Wilson, recently defended the city’s tech infrastructure against a series of attacks by malicious actors, Mayor Jackson explained.

Sheriff-elect Roberson said that four of the eleven towns and cities in Boone County have their own police departments. He said he plans to reinvigorate meetings with those police chiefs to discuss issues and developments. He updated the attendees on a requirement that every department now have at least one full-time certified officer. That requires them to attend a 13-week course.

The next item of business was the county’s fire protection services. “These rural fire departments really do a good job,” Judge Archer said.

Harrison’s fire department was recognized as being a good partner to the volunteer departments, as well.

County fire coordinator Creamer explained that there are 12 volunteer fire departments in the county, with Harrison’s department making 13. He added that HFD automatically responds to any structure fires. Grass fires, which account for over 90% of fire responses in the county, are handled by VFDs unless HFD is requested.

Creamer said that the county has over 350 volunteer firefighters, but between employment and raising families, the VFDs rely on help from other departments like Harrison’s.

Next, Jenkins updated attendees on county jail matters. He said the jail houses an average of 125 inmates at any given time, with around 30 being state inmates awaiting a spot in prison. He said one challenge they face is transporting state inmates from court to their respective prisons. Maintenance on the jail facility can also be a challenge, Jenkins said. At over 18 years old and full of individuals who don’t necessarily try to maintain their surroundings, the jail requires staff to stay busy ensuring everything is in working order.

On a high note, Judge Archer commended the jail staff for passing a recent annual audit. He said reading the audit report left him very impressed with the job the jail staff was performing.

Scotty Trammell, NARMC EMS Director, provided some information regarding their efforts in the county. He said they operate five ambulances in Boone County and one in Newton County. They respond to an average of 8,500 calls a year. They continue to provide EMR and EMT training to increase on-scene care.

Trammell said they respond to calls, often with one of the fire departments, and that partnership makes “a world of difference.”

Angela Mueller of the Boone County Library described plans to upgrade the library to include more room for community events. She has applied for grants and is planning on fundraising. Gentry pointed out that, through its own efforts, the library has never needed to come to the county for more money. She complemented its ability to stay self-sufficient.

County cleanup will occur on Oct. 3 at Methvin Sanitation on Industrial Park Rd. This year, monitor disposal fees have been waived. Boone County is still under a burn ban.