COUNTY NEWS
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‘Enjoyed working with the people,’ says Judge Dill A
fter 18-plus years as Cleburne County Judge, Claude Dill took early retire- ment at the end of June.
“It’s been a real tough decision for me,” said
Dill, who announced his decision during the April 11 regular meeting of the Quorum Court, citing health reasons as his cause for his resigna- tion. “In January of last year, I had a stress test
through the VA,” he said. “Tey have been look- ing at Agent Orange causing heart problems in veterans, so I was tested for it. Ten in Septem- ber of last year, I received 60 percent disability from heart problems due to Agent Orange. In the last four to five months I just haven’t felt good so I talked to my doctor. After a long de- liberation, I decided it would be best to retire and take care of myself.” Dill plans on spending more time with his family, especially his wife, who also has health problems. Dill isn’t planning on disappearing complete-
ly. “I’m not leaving,” he said. “I’m still going to live in Cleburne County and if I can be of ser- vice, I will be more than happy to help.” Dill enjoyed his time as county judge and the decision to leave weighed heavy on his heart. “Tis job has been very rewarding,” he said. “I really enjoyed it. I feel I accomplished a lot in the over 18 years I’ve been on the job. Te hard- est thing I’ve had to do is leave. I really enjoy the people of the county and the employees I’ve worked with over the years,” he said. When Dill decided to run for County Judge,
he didn’t make that decision lightly, either. “I looked around the county and saw what was going on,” he said. “I talked over different is- sues with people and took two years to think about running. I was fortunate to get elected. I knocked on doors and talked to people about what I’d change, and people were receptive to what I had to say. I also made sure to listen to others and get their views about things.” And in all his years in office, he has strived to keep the county moving forward. “Being an elected official, you need to see what people want and see what needs they have,” he said. “I tried to do that over the years. When I took of- fice, we had 2 mills in the road fund and 3 mills in the general fund. You can have a maximum of 3 in the road fund and a maximum of 5 in the general fund. We went from 3 in the general fund to 2.5 mills and from 2 in the road fund to 1.75 mills. I am proud to have had a decrease. Also, there have been two times we asked for and received a sales tax, one for the expansion of
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Among the many who offered plaques and well-wishes at a retirement party June 28, held at ASU- Heber Springs, were AAC Executive Director Chris Villines (left) and Conway County Judge Jimmy Hart (center), who also serves as president of the County Judges Association of Arkansas. Judge Dill was quick to share the credit for his county’s accomplishments with county employees and his fellow elected officials.
the county jail and one for creating ASU Heber Springs.” Dill made improvements to the road depart-
ment over the years. “When I took office, the road department had old equipment,” he said. “As the years went on, we (the county) were able to buy new equipment and to chip and seal 225 miles of county road. We didn’t have 50 miles of road paved when I first started.” Dill would have liked to have stayed on until
several projects were complete, but it just isn’t going to work that way. “I would have liked to have seen the new courts done and more miles of road chipped and sealed,” he said. “I would have loved to have been able to have every road black-topped in the county, but we don’t have the funds to do so.” Tough there are things he wished could have been done during his time as county judge, there have been many things in his career that Dill is proud of including getting the old county hos- pital remodeled and county agencies using the space. “Overall, we’ve done quite a lot with the funding we’ve had,” he said. “And I say we be- cause it’s not about me. I have some wonderful employees and county officials who work hard to get the job done.” Tough Dill is moving on, he feels a sense of accomplishment for the work he’s done. “I think we’ve accomplished a lot and I wouldn’t change
things,” he said. “I think you’ve got to be positive to do a job like this and to be in a position like this you’ve got to be a people person, which I am. I haven’t regretted a thing. Tis job has been real rewarding to me and I enjoy working with the people.” Dill feels his whole life lead him to his po- sition as Cleburne County Judge. “From the time I was in school seeing situations all over the county, like the school bus getting pulled out of the mud by a tractor, that has made me want to run for county judge. I have experienced them first hand and wanted to see them changed for the better. My experiences from the service as well have helped me to step up and make deci- sions in life and in this job.” All of Dill’s experiences have enabled him to manage county affairs. “County government has to have someone to manage it and I think we’ve done that well over the years,” he said. “It’s a hands-on job and if you’re not willing to do that, you don’t need this job. Circumstances can change from one day to the next but I’ve always loved a good challenge and this job has been a challenge. I’m going to hate to leave this job, but I am going to love spending more time with my family.”
By Lorie Mink, Co-Editor Te Sun-Times / Heber Springs COUNTY LINES, SUMMER 2011
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