Small Town Corruption in Arkansas: a FOX13 Follow Up

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Unauthorized police departments, hidden money and missing paperwork are what you’ll find in three small Arkansas towns. They were once under investigation by state police but now have new elected leaders.

People living in Jennette, Jericho and Turrell, Arkansas hope the new leaders will bring positive change to their communities.

For the last 2 years, FOX13 has been reporting on and exposing wrong-doing inside the three small Arkansas towns. Last year, state police stepped in to investigate. Two of the three mayors of the towns were slapped with sanctions and even criminal charges. None of the mayors chose to run for re-election and now new leaders are about to take over.

“City hall, I very rarely see anyone over here,” said Jennette resident, Samuel Clifton.

With a population of just 100 people, Jennette, Arkansas residents hope they'll see serious change once new leadership takes office on January 1st.

“(Reporter) Do you even have a fire dept. I see the truck, what happens when there's a fire? (Clifton) If you ask me this one's down, it's been sitting here two years.

Last year, Jennette Mayor, Plez Lucas and his daughter, Margaret Mathis, the town treasurer, were accused of being reimbursed for more than $30,000 worth of travel expenses, prosecutors believe they never accrued.

“I filed theft of property charges against them, their cases are pending in circuit court.”

Lucas' attorney told us over the phone, they plan to go to trial on the case. He says Lucas does not read or write well but that he did accrue all the travel expenses, going to various meetings on economic development, highway development and applying for grant money.

The newly elected Jennette mayor is this man, John Mathis; a cousin of Margaret Mathis, the town treasurer.

“(Reporter) Does that concern you Margaret Mathis was one of the ones charged with theft of property and John Mathis is the mayor? (Clifton) Well everybody has some good intentions in them, some don't. It's not just a bad seed in the whole bunch.”

Timothy White was elected Jennette councilman. At 19-years old, he's the youngest councilman in the history of the town. The new leaders take office January 1st.

“The people back here in Jennette want a chance they showed it to us, voting new people in and old ones out. So not only do people of Jennette want a change, I do and trying to build up a community of what it was supposed to be years ago that it is not,” said White.

In Jericho, change is also about to take place. Although the previous mayor, Helen Adams, who's in office until January 1st answered the door to her home Monday afternoon, in her pajamas. It was the second time we've been to her home in the middle of a weekday, where she has been in her pajamas.

Both times, she said she was sick.

“(Reporter) Can you tell me, when was the last time city hall was open? So it's open some days and not others? How does the public know when it's open? (Adams) Well they know when they see cars and everybody just knows everything else in this town.”

The new Jericho mayor is a school teacher in Marion. Eddie May Payne lives next door to the new mayor. Payne moved to Jericho in 1989.

“At least we had some stores, grocery stores and that. We don’t even have a grocery store anymore,” said Payne.

Payne's son is the fire chief who was shot by a police officer in city hall, after an argument over traffic tickets. She's looking forward to new leadership.

“(Reporter) What would you like to see the new mayor do? (Payne) I’d just like to see her do a lot of cleaning up, improve the neighborhood.”

We also went to Turrell, Arkansas to see what’s new.

“We don't' have anything to hide, the money is hid but it's in the bank its' not in my pocket,” said former Mayor Frank Lockhart back in December of 2009.

Lockhart resigned, after the district attorneys office filed a nonfeasance action against him. Court documents show he deposited taxpayers’ money in a Memphis bank, refused to pay the city council and was operating an unauthorized police department.

“He was just kind of functioning as the sole governing body of the town,” said Prosecutor Melanie Alsworth.

An interim mayor is in place until newly elected mayor, Alan Spears takes office, January 1st.

“The money has been returned, to my knowledge, to the city of Turrell,” said Spears.

The first items on Spears’ agenda include bringing back the fire department and having an accredited police department.

“It's gonna be a lot of work, it's probably a part time job but it's probably a full time job starting off. Trying to get everything straightened out,” said Spears.

“I think they've arguably been elected as a result of their predecessor’s abuse,” said AR State Senator Jim Luker.

Luker also has new found hope for the small towns. Last year, he got legislation passed requiring the towns to keep adequate court records or loose their courts altogether. Now, he's talking with the state legislative audit division on more possible legislation.