Of the prairie, by the people
County Government
Lonoke County government is built the way the prairie is — wide open. Meet the County Judge, the Quorum Court, and the elected offices that keep 801.3 square miles running.
Office of the County Judge
The county's chief executive
Under the Arkansas Constitution, the County Judge is the chief executive officer of the county — part administrator, part road builder, part steward of the public purse.
The Judge's office oversees the county budget and day-to-day operations, maintains hundreds of miles of county roads and bridges, administers county buildings and grounds, approves expenditures, and presides over the Quorum Court. In times of disaster, the Judge also serves as the county's chief emergency officer — including declaring (and lifting) countywide burn bans.
- County roads, bridges & drainage
- Budget administration & purchasing
- County buildings, grounds & solid waste
- Emergency declarations & burn bans
Reach the office at (501) 676-6403 or judgesoffice@lonokear.gov.
Road Department requests
Potholes, washouts, culverts, and signage on county roads are handled by the Road Department under the Judge's office. Submit a request.
Quorum Court
The county's legislative branch
Thirteen Justices of the Peace — each elected from a district of roughly equal population — adopt the county budget, pass ordinances, and set the levy of taxes. The County Judge presides; the County Clerk keeps the record.
| District | Justice of the Peace | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brent Canon | Through the County Clerk |
| 2 | Not listed — call the County Clerk, (501) 676-2368 | |
| 3 | Henry Lang | (501) 563-6328 · Cabot |
| 4 | Claud Irvin | (501) 951-4029 · Cabot |
| 5 | Bobby Gilliam | Through the County Clerk |
| 6 | Stubby Stumbaugh | Through the County Clerk |
| 7 | Adam Sims | Through the County Clerk |
| 8 | Tate House | Through the County Clerk |
| 9 | Linda Waddell | Through the County Clerk |
| 10 | Elizabeth Anderson | Through the County Clerk |
| 11 | Mike Dolan | Through the County Clerk |
| 12 | Patty Knox | Through the County Clerk |
| 13 | Bob Morris | (501) 680-1740 · Cabot |
Roster as published by the County Clerk. Don't know your district? The Clerk's office can look it up from your address — (501) 676-2368.
Ordinances & resolutions
County legislation is filed with the County Clerk and available for public inspection — recent measures are posted with each agenda.
Budget & appropriations
The court adopts the annual county budget and appropriates funds through the year — recent appropriation ordinances are posted by the County Clerk.
Public comment
Quorum Court meetings are open to every resident. Want to bring something to the court? Call the County Clerk — the agenda is set one week before each meeting, by ordinance.
Meetings & agendas
Public business, done in public
All county meetings are open to the public under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
| Body | When | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Quorum Court — regular session | 3rd Thursday of each month; the agenda is set one week before, by ordinance | Time & room on each posted agenda |
| Board of Equalization | Convenes in late summer to hear assessment appeals | Appointments through the County Clerk |
| Election Commission | As called around each election | Posted with each meeting notice |
Committee and board times can shift — confirm with the County Clerk at (501) 676-2368 before making a trip.
Agendas, minutes & ordinances
The County Clerk publishes Quorum Court agendas, minutes, ordinances, and resolutions. Recent postings include:
Attending in person
Where to go
Most county business happens at the courthouse, 301 N Center St on the Lonoke square. Each month's posted agenda names the meeting time and room.
Need an accommodation?
Call the County Clerk at (501) 676-2368 ahead of a meeting and the office will arrange assistance.
Your elected offices
Eight offices, one county
Every office below is elected countywide and answers directly to you.
Since 1873
A county named for a tree
When surveyors laid the railroad across the open Grand Prairie, one landmark stood above the grass: a single red oak. "Lone oak" became Lonoke — and the tree became a county.
That mix of prairie and timber still defines us. To the north, the wooded hills around Cabot and Ward; to the south, some of the richest rice ground in America; through the middle, the slow bayous that made Lonoke the Minnow Capital of the World.
Did you know?
The name comes from a “lone oak” that surveyor George P. C. Rumbough used as a landmark while laying out the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad — the coined word stuck.
-
1873
The county is born
Carved from Pulaski and Prairie counties on April 16, with the new railroad town of Lonoke as its seat.
-
1880s
Rails across the prairie
Depots at Lonoke, Carlisle, and England turn prairie crossroads into market towns.
-
1900s
Rice changes everything
Arkansas's first commercial rice crops take root on the Grand Prairie near Carlisle — an industry that still feeds the world.
-
1920s
Hatchery & courthouse
The Game & Fish Commission digs its first hatchery ponds south of Lonoke — today's Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery — and the courthouse that still anchors the square rises in brick and stone.
-
Today
One county, online
Nine communities and every county office share a single digital front door — this one.
Get involved
Your seat at the table is real
Attend a Quorum Court meeting, speak during public comment, or just call your JP. This government is yours.