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Ten candidates seeking five Justice of the Peace seats on the Baxter County Quorum Court took questions from the community during a live forum at KTLO on Feb. 10, touching on county roads, economic development, the Aldi deal and transparency in local government.
KTLO’s Heather Loftis moderated the roughly 90-minute broadcast, which aired on FM 97.9 and streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. Five contested Republican primary districts were represented: Districts 2, 3, 7, 9 and 11. The forum was sponsored by H&R Block and Judicious Spirits.
Jay Sabella, the challenger in District 3, did not attend. Incumbent Rick Steiner noted the absence in his closing remarks, saying he had attended several political events over the prior four days where his opponent did not show.
“What Quorum Court meets 12 times a year? We’ve got to show up to serve,” Steiner said.
Dennis Frank, the unopposed incumbent in District 1, was given time to speak and used much of it to address what he called the “hot button” Aldi issue. Frank, who sits as a nonvoting member on the Economic Development Alliance board, said the county paid a local contractor to clear debris from the site at a cost of about $16,000.
“We did not write a check to Aldi’s. We did not partner with the alliance,” Frank said. “Aldi’s stores going to produce between 12 and 15 million dollars annually to Baxter County. That’s one percent sales tax. That’s $120,000 for a $16,000 investment.”
Frank added that credit card purchase data provided by Aldi showed Mountain Home zip codes were responsible for roughly 5,000 visits a year to the West Plains, Mo., store and 12,000 visits to the Harrison location.
The Aldi question resurfaced repeatedly throughout the forum, drawing some of the sharpest exchanges of the morning. Loftis asked the District 9 candidates directly whether county taxpayer dollars should support economic development projects like the Aldi deal. Baker said the county’s role should focus on getting utilities and road access in place for new businesses rather than clearing land.
“I think the best way to do this is helping us right away, getting utilities into where the business is needed,” Baker said. “I think that needs to be covered first before anything else is looked at.”
Baker later circled back to challenge Frank’s numbers, questioning who conducted the survey and whether Aldi would actually grow the county’s tax base or simply shift sales away from existing retailers.
“We know that that tax dollar is taken away from Walmart’s, Town and Country, Hearts and others,” Baker said. “That is not improving tax gain in the county.”
Frank responded that the data came from Aldi itself through credit card purchases tracked by zip code and that the figures only captured Mountain Home shoppers, not the entire county.
“There’s a lot more people going up there, and we were losing that tax revenue,” Frank said.
Davis said the investment was the right call and predicted the payback would exceed early estimates. He said residents would appreciate not having to drive to Harrison or West Plains to shop at an Aldi.
“I think the estimates are low on what that payback is going to be on that deal,” Davis said. “I don’t think that’s the first time someone’s got help from some group before, and it’s always been a successful thing.”
District 7 incumbent Bob Nault used leftover time during a question about the sheriff’s budget to circle back to the Aldi issue, saying taxpayers already fund economic development every time they pay sales tax. He said he is open to welcoming any business but wants the same treatment for everyone.
“It should be equal across the board, small business and large business, and I think that’s what we need to take a look at,” Nault said.
Ades, a Navy veteran and former Baxter Health security officer, said his career has been defined by service and that he would bring that same approach to the Quorum Court.
“I promise that I’m going to listen to you. I’m gonna be honest, and I’m going to lead with integrity,” Ades said.
District 7 incumbent Bob Nault said he sometimes has to vote against his own preferences because his constituents ask him to, calling transparency a word many people use but few follow through on.
“It was very hard to vote against yourself,” Nault said. “But transparency is hard. I’m always here for the people, and I’m here for the whole county, not just my district.”
County roads dominated much of the discussion, particularly after the recent snow event. Loftis noted that KTLO received several Facebook comments about county roads that went untouched during the storm. District 2 challenger Teia Peters said she heard from constituents on Highway 27 who said plows came through once and never returned. District 2 incumbent Mike McDonald said he had not heard complaints from his constituents and encouraged anyone with concerns to contact him directly.
Nault recalled a road categorization system he helped develop during his time working for the county, in which every road was ranked one through nine and crews were given specific assignments. He said the program could cover all roads within about a week.
“That program was still there somewhere. That’s a very excellent program,” Nault said.
District 11 candidate Tom Canta, a retired police officer with more than 41 years of service, suggested using road crews to pick up trash before mowing and said citizens should call their JP when they see problems so the issue can be elevated to the county judge.
“If you don’t communicate, you don’t know there’s a problem,” Canta said. “And if you don’t know there’s a problem, you can’t help.”
District 11 candidate Danny Woods, who has operated a retail business in the county for 35 years, said roads in rural areas are a major concern, citing County Road 236 as one example where emergency vehicles cannot get through. He said he has personally driven roads in his district and found conditions that worried him.
“We got a gentleman at the end of that road that has cancer,” Woods said. “We drove in there to make a video of the road and couldn’t get out. And we had four-wheel drive.”
A question about County Road 73 also came up. The project, which began under former Judge Mickey Pendergrass, remains incomplete. Loftis said her understanding was that a permit is sitting on a desk at the U.S. Forest Service office in Hector, Ark. Both Canta and Woods said they did not have detailed knowledge of the project. Nault confirmed the delays are tied to permitting and right-of-way issues with multiple agencies.
In the District 9 race, Loftis asked both candidates about Briarcliff, where 237 constituents live according to the last census. The small lakeside community has been the subject of extensive Observer reporting over the past year, including an Attorney General investigation, mass resignations of city and improvement district officials, decades of failure to hold legally required elections for the Briarcliff Improvement District board, missing audits dating back to 2016, disputes over nearly $700,000 in tornado insurance funds and allegations of financial mismanagement stretching back more than 20 years.
Davis said he was aware of the issues but was told by state officials and attorneys that his job as JP was to stay out of it and let them handle the situation.
“I was told my job was to stay out of that, let the state and the attorneys handle that. I have done that,” Davis said. “I think it’s on an improving trend to some degree. I’ll be willing to work with them as I can going forward.”
Baker, a lifelong Baxter County resident and retired business owner, painted a rosier picture. He said he has attended three Briarcliff meetings, gone door to door and physically inspected roads in the area. He said he served nine years on the Tracy Fire Department board and considers the community part of his personal responsibility.
“Briarcliff is really moving forward now,” Baker said. “It’s very, very important to me to see them excel.”
Baker also raised concerns about a bridge in Steiner’s district that he said has dropped roughly 18 inches due to erosion and tree root damage. He said if the bridge is not addressed before spring rains, it could be lost entirely, and that the 45-minute detour around it could delay emergency responders.
“That bridge can be saved in my opinion, and he’s not made any actions to do that,” Baker said, referring to the county judge.
On the airport, Nault said he voted against last year’s changes that replaced the airport commission with an advisory board, giving the county judge full control. He said the Quorum Court should have a say in how the airport is governed.
“The advisory board, if he doesn’t like it, he can get rid of it,” Nault said. “We don’t have a say on the court at all about that advisory board. I’m against that.”
Ades said from what he has heard, the changes have had a positive impact and that private individuals are building hangars on county property. He credited the county judge with doing a good job managing the airport.
Steiner addressed constituent concerns about a proposal to incorporate the area northeast of Mountain Home as a second-class city with a new sewer system. He estimated the process could take 10 years and cost tens of millions of dollars, and said he has not seen widespread septic failures in the area.
“People don’t want their taxes to go up,” Steiner said. “Sewers are nice. But can we afford that?”
Peters, a nurse at Baxter Health, emphasized her background in healthcare when discussing infrastructure, saying the hospital needs to grow along with the community.
“I feel like the community is outgrowing the hospital,” Peters said.
She also said her first act in office would be to launch a web page for District 2 to serve as a communication forum between constituents and their JP.
McDonald, who spent 26 years as facilities manager and security officer at Integrity First Bank, kept his answers brief throughout the forum. On infrastructure, he said better roads and more access points in and out of the county should be the priority.
Woods said he wants more transparency from the county judge’s office and cited an experience where he tried to get on the Quorum Court agenda through his JP but was told by the judge that it was not the proper venue.
“Sometimes you’re not heard at all,” Woods said. “It depends on who you are and what the subject is.”
The forum also touched on water quality. Baker said he became ill from contaminated water and knows of others who have gotten sick. He said the issue is not being addressed and could affect tourism if left unchecked.
In closing statements, several candidates returned to their core themes. Steiner highlighted upcoming building projects including a new courthouse annex for the assessor, collector and voting center. Canta emphasized his 41-year career in law enforcement and desire to continue serving. Peters urged voters to get to the polls on March 3. Davis said he wants to stay at the table and continue moving the county forward. And Nault reiterated his commitment to listening to constituents and holding government accountable.
The Republican primary is March 3. Early voting began Feb. 17 at First United Methodist Church and runs through March 2. Winners of the contested JP races will take office in January 2027, as no Democrats filed for these seats.
