Neighbors sworn in as new county coroner
The Garland County Quorum Court appointed acting coroner Jayson Neighbors to serve the remainder of the term Stuart Smedley vacated in December.
Nine of the 13 justices of the peace voted for Neighbors at the special called meeting Monday night at the Garland County Armory Building. He was sworn in Tuesday morning and will serve through 2026. He worked as a deputy coroner for 12 years, serving the last eight as chief deputy.
By: David Showers
The Sentinel-Record
The Garland County Quorum Court appointed acting coroner Jayson Neighbors to serve the remainder of the term Stuart Smedley vacated in December.
Nine of the 13 justices of the peace voted for Neighbors at the special called meeting Monday night at the Garland County Armory Building. He was sworn in Tuesday morning and will serve through 2026. He worked as a deputy coroner for 12 years, serving the last eight as chief deputy.
Neighbors was one of four applicants to interview for the vacancy at the Jan. 22 special-called meeting and the only one certified in medicolegal death scene investigation.
Micah Braughton, R-District 1, Dayton Myers, R-District 7, and Dr. Brian Peters, R-District 9, voted for Physician Assistant Jared Wilson. Ray Owen, D-District 6, voted for retired paramedic and deputy coroner Rick Albaugh.
No ballots were cast for Dr. Fred Lyles.
"I appreciate every one of you putting your trust in me and the deputies behind me," Neighbors told JPs after the vote. "I look forward to working with each and every one of y'all. I look forward to getting to know each, and every one of y'all."
The $115 million 2024 county budget the quorum court appropriated set an $86,112 salary for the coroner, the same pay it authorized for treasurer, county clerk, circuit clerk, collector and assessor. A 2017 law allows counties to pay coroners certified in medicolegal death scene investigation the same as other elected officials, excluding county judge and sheriff. The quorum court set their pay at $98,840.
Salary ranges set by the Arkansas Association of Counties allow quorum courts in Garland County's population range to pay certified coroners, treasurers, county clerks, circuit clerks, collectors and assessors up to $129,974. County judges and sheriffs can make up to $139,372.
Neighbors told the quorum court last week he would retire from his firefighting job at the Hot Springs Village Fire Department if appointed to serve the remainder of Smedley's term. He's ineligible to run for the 2027-30 term.
"My goal is to finish out Stuart's term and be the coroner for a few years and let somebody else take the reins," he told JPs last week.
Neighbors has been acting coroner since the start of the year. Citing health reasons, Smedley retired in December with three years remaining on the term he was elected to in 2022.
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