Former Justice of the Peace for District 11 of the Baxter County Quorum Court, Leon Alexander, has retired as of December 31st, after eight years of service to the community. He was recently presented an award by Baxter County Judge Mickey Pendergrass honoring his commitment.
Before serving in his elected position, Alexander was involved in the Baxter County Environmental Committee. His district was hit hard by flooding in the area in 2008.
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FEMA wouldnt grandfather-in residents affected by the flooding, into an insurance policy, which meant most of those affected by the floods werent eligible for federal loans to rebuild. He says although it was a defeat, it was his first experience with challenging a large entity.
Alexander later decided to get involved with the Quorum Court when the Norfork River, below the dam, was flooded with sediment. He says a contractor was developing land in the hills above the dam when rain and erosion from the development site caused the soil to run off into the clear water, choking the ecosystem.
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Alexander says he didnt have experience as an elected official, yet he continued to work with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, to pursue the issue of the polluted river, at the city, county and state level. The ADEQ eventually fined the contractor around $250,000, effectively shutting the operation down.
The most rewarding experience, according to Alexander, was getting to know the people across District 11. He says its the largest geographical district in the county and includes two cities, one school district and five volunteer fire departments. As he would make his way through these areas in Norfork and Big Flat, what he enjoyed the most was swearing people into office.
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Alexander plans on continuing with other projects hes involved with, but says he looks forward to spending more time with his family.
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