WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. – When Walnut Ridge Mayor Charles Snapp was contacted by NEA Report on Friday afternoon, he had not yet read the Hoxie mayor’s Facebook post about a hostile takeover effort.
Snapp was in meetings regarding economic growth and partnerships with other communities and counties, he said. After a reporter read the entire statement to him, he expressed total shock.
“I’m a little bit shocked about what you just read me,” Snapp said. “He brought it up to me immediately following the election in November, 2014 and sit in the office with my wife and told me Hoxie was broke and would have to consolidate within the next two years.”
This is a stark contrast to what Tinker wrote in his Facebook post.
“I was very disappointed when Walnut Ridge Mayor, Charles Snapp made statements about the consolidation of Hoxie with Walnut Ridge without having communications with the Hoxie City Council, mayor or our citizens,” Tinker said.
Snapp added that he had not only met with Tinker about it, but specifically offered ideas to allow both towns to retain their independence.
“We’ve offered town meetings,” Snapp said. “We’ve offered to share the Christmas parades – one year, start it in Hoxie and end in Walnut Ridge and the next year, flip it. We’ve tried to be as cordial as can be but following the election, Lanny Tinker has done nothing but talk to me about the need to consolidate.”
Snapp said he had no intentions of a hostile effort to take over Hoxie and had only been acting on information and suggestions which came from the Hoxie mayor himself, along with Hoxie residents. He said Tinker had come into his office with the idea before Snapp had ever said a word.
“When I was first elected, I’m telling you, Lanny Tinker came into my office with my wife there and told me how in poor financial shape Hoxie was in and in two years they would be forced to consolidate,” Snapp said. “He asked me how good financial shape Walnut Ridge was in and I said, ‘Lanny, it’s going to take the city a while to get back up in financial shape. They’re gaining now and we’ve got to keep that going.’ And that was the first time he approached me about consolidation.”
NEA Report asked Hoxie Mayor Lanny Tinker if he had met with Snapp at the beginning of Snapp’s term.
“I don’t recall any specific conversations in 2014 the start of my second term,” Tinker said. “I do remember a brief conversation sometime in mid 16 but I stated very specifically Hoxie would know our stability by late 2018 and I wanted no publicity until late 2018. How did that work out? He called me after he formed a committee and announced at their council meeting on tv before he called me. I voiced my displeasure and we agreed to disagree. We have had limited conversation on any subject since.”
Tinker said he had great communication with former Mayor House and he tried with Snapp, but “somehow, we got crossways.” He said Snapp should have at least discussed when he was moving forward in 2017 to annex.
“Honestly, I hate to say it but wow, I’m kind of floored,” Snapp said. “Evidently, he had misrepresented the situation to me from the get-go. But hey, if that’s what the people want, then that’s fine.”
Hoxie and walnut ridge is one of crooked corrupt city I’ve ever seen. Even there judges cops the hyw police plus to deferent city police are all corrupt… The hyw police there if you get pulled over on the interstate that runs through walnut ridge and Hoxie they will give you a city Ordinances ticket so the money goes to there towns still. The state supposed to get that money not them. And they love the out giving there ticket out to aren’t from there town so its easier to hide and then once you go to court and get the ticket paid for or set up there payment plan they have and pay the fine off about six months to 1 year later I get pulled over again and they have a warrant out on me for none payment even though I had paid it off so I got a driven on suspended DL to go along with I had to repay all the older tickets again and had to bond out of jail needless to say I’ve gave them over 3000 dollars and set in jail and done there community service deal to pay off a fine that I still owe on today that’s over 6 years ago and each month that goes unpaid I get $10 more on top of it for court oddimation fee.. I literally have to hide from them all BC me and 4 of my friend went to spring river and got pulled over on a interstate hyw??? Seems odd huh but true and in not the only one this has happened to there probably 1000s more that just thought that the cop was been nice to them and given them a ticket that costed less money and wouldn’t go against your driver record. I want to be named anomalous, do not show me name or email address thank you….