Arkansas Code
Subchapter 2 - Circuit Courts Generally
§ 16-13-216. Clerk and court reporter — Assistants — Salaries

(a) The circuit judge of any judicial district which had a total population between forty-two thousand (42,000) and forty-four thousand (44,000) according to the 1960 Federal Decennial Census may appoint for the district some person who is either a lawyer, or who has served as an official court reporter prior to February 27, 1968, to serve as clerk and court reporter for the judicial district.
(b)
(1) The official so provided for in this section for such a judicial district shall receive a salary of five thousand four hundred dollars ($5,400) per year for such work.
(2) The salary is to be paid in monthly or quarterly payments by the various counties of the judicial district out of proper and appropriate funds and as set out in this section.

(c)
(1) The circuit judge of the judicial circuit is authorized, empowered, and directed to employ and appoint a person to assist the clerk or court reporter at the request of the clerk or court reporter at wages to be designated by the circuit judge.
(2) The wages of the assistant shall be paid out of the salary of the clerk or court reporter appointed under this section to serve the judicial district.

(d)
(1) The annual salary of the clerk and court reporter shall be paid by the respective counties comprising the judicial districts which may be affected by this section according to an assessment or assessments to be fixed, made, determined, and proportioned among the counties comprising the judicial district by the presiding judge of the judicial district at such time as he or she may deem proper and necessary.
(2) The proportioning, fixing, prorating, and determining of the amounts each county shall pay shall be determined on a basis of assessed valuation of the property in the counties or in the district as a whole.
(3) The salary shall be paid as provided in subsection (b) of this section by the various counties from appropriate county funds.

(e) Nothing in this section shall affect the fees chargeable by court reporters of the judicial districts with a total population of between forty-two thousand (42,000) and forty-four thousand (44,000) according to the 1960 Federal Decennial Census for transcripts and such services as may be now in force and effect.