The Finance and Administration Council committee on Sept. 9, 2025, voted to forward Ordinance 25,034 to the full City Council requesting special permission for Mid South Auto Service, owned by city parks employee Justin Tittle, to provide auto repair services to the City of Jonesboro.

The ordinance cites Arkansas Code Annotated §14-42-107 and asks the council to grant “special permission for Mid South Auto Service owned by Justin Tittle, a city employee, to provide auto repair service to the City of Jonesboro.” The committee moved the item to the full council for final action.

Staff told the committee that Mid South Auto Service had provided vehicle repairs to the city “prior to him coming on as softball coordinator.” A committee member asked whether the business had already been providing services; staff answered that it had. “Prior to him coming on as softball coordinator, Mid South has provided a percentage of auto repairs for city vehicles,” the staff member said.

A committee member also raised the statutory prohibition on contracts with municipal employees and asked whether the proposed ordinance complied with that restriction. “It just has to be disclosed,” the chair said, noting the city follows a disclosure and approval process used in prior situations. Staff added that the state auditor asks for that disclosure annually.

No vote tally was recorded in the committee transcript; the motion and second were recorded and the item was forwarded to the full City Council for consideration.

The ordinance text on the agenda names the business owner and requests the council’s special permission; the transcript does not include a statement from Justin Tittle himself.

The item will return to the full City Council for a final decision.