Van Buren changes duties, pay of elected city attorney

story by Marla Cantrell
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Just three days before Van Buren City Attorney Don Jenkins’ 90 day suspension ended, the Van Buren City Council voted to drastically reduce the duties and pay of the elected office.

In February, Jenkins was reprimanded by the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct and fined $500.

Mayor Bob Freeman said the vote was unanimous.

His suspension was set to expire on May 6. However, on Monday (May 3) the Van Buren City Council met in special session to discuss the office Jenkins now holds.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2011, the city attorney’s position will become a part-time job with scaled back duties. The new pay rate will be $1,000 a month, and will also include health insurance. The city attorney’s annual salary is now $56,644.

The ordinance adopted Monday outlines the reasons for the change as follows: “Whereas, the City of Van Buren needs legal services of many varieties and needs flexibility in order to ensure that those legal services are provided efficiently and effectively; and whereas, taxpayers will get better service by limiting the role of the elected city attorney and allowing the city council budget for other legal services.”

Jenkins has been noticeably absent from the regular council meetings since his suspension. The city of Van Buren has used the Crawford County Prosecutor’s office for the prosecution of city cases and Greg Karber, who is Barling’s city attorney, for the city’s legal matters since the February suspension. The new ordinance authorizes the mayor to enter into contracts for city business and to team up with the Crawford County Prosecutor’s office to handle city prosecution.

Beginning Jan. 1, the city attorney will only be required to attend all planning and council meetings. The focus of the position will be to make sure the meetings are conducted lawfully, and that ordinances and resolutions are drafted and read correctly.

Jenkins’ license was suspended after the Arkansas Supreme Court’s Committee of Professional Conduct concluded the Van Buren attorney violated certain rules of conduct. The suspension stems from Jenkins’ handling of a 2007 federal lawsuit, while he worked as a private attorney.

Jenkins is up for reelection this year. Candidates for city offices do not have to file until August.