GARFIELD -- Three people want to be mayor of Garfield.
The incumbent, Laura Hamilton, is seeking reelection. Also seeking the position are Gary Blackburn, a current City Council member, and Gary Eckels, a former mayorial and council candidate.
Blackburn, 64, is a native of Fayetteville, graduated from Fayetteville High School and the University of Arkansas. He served 25 years in the U.S. Naval Reserves. Blackburn retired after 32 years with the U.S. Postal service. He owns and operates Blackburn Deck and Pressure Washing.
Eckels, 50, is a native of Oklahoma and moved to Arkansas in 1965. He graduated from Rogers High School and Northeast Oklahome A & M in Miami, Okla. He is a welder, owns Draggne Welding and raises cattle.
Hamilton, 54, is originally from Fort Collins, Colo., and has been in Arkansas for 22 years. She is the postmaster in Garfield. She was appointed to fill two years of an unexpired term for mayor, was elected to two four-year terms and is completing her 1oth year as mayor.
Blackburn
Blackburn, who is currently a City Council member, said: "The election of a mayor, especially this election cycle, is of no little importance to the future of our city."
"I want to continue my work with the City Council to take Garfield successfully to the future. We've made great strides in controlling expenses, improving our image, making services available to the residents," Blackburn said. "I've been on the council for one year and 10 months. I've experienced first hand what can be done when people work together."
Blackburn said he has served on the Garfield Planning Commission and served as the mayor of Avoca before he moved to Garfield.
"The council has successfully eliminated unnecessary expenses," Blackburn said. "We have implemented controls that allow for a more transparent fiscal policy. We have approved a plan that will help all businesses in Garfield be more visible."
Blackburn said he plans to have City Hall open five days a week and have office hours for the mayor.
Eckels
Eckels, who ran for mayor in Garfield in 2002, loosing to Bobby Flickinger, by one vote. He ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 1998 and 2006. Eckels said he served one term on the City Council in 1995.
"Some peole here in Garfield asked if I would run again. I agreed," Eckels said. "I think we need a change in there. We're spending ... our growth needs to be looked at rather than just the board's accomodations. They're talking about retirement funds and we don't even have a road grader."
"I'd like to see us start working on a sewer plant," Eckels said, adding that proper spending and road maintenance is the first priority of need in Garfield.
"I think it's just common sense" Eckels said when asked why he is the best choice for mayor, that and "listening to the people and making decisions for the people with them as my best interest."
Hamilton
Hamilton said: "I want to be mayor again because I feel like we, as a city, have made a lot of headway so far and I feel like we have good momentum and I want to carry on with that."
She said roads and growth are two of the biggest concerns right now but that SWEPCO lines coming through town are the single biggest issue facing the town. In fighing the placement of the SWEPCO lines through town, Hamilton said she believes she has made a difference.
As for roads, Hamilton said the city recently received $250,000 from a new sales tax and plan to finish paving both Alvin Seamster Road and Wimpy Jones Road to the city limits.
"One of the biggest problems we have is that many of our roads are private. People don't understand that we can't work on private roads," Hamilton said.
"Since I've been in office, we've built our first City Hall, our first City Park, our first walking trail, have franchise trash service with curbside recycling and semi-annual cleanups. I physically helpe people with that," Hamilton said. "I feel like we, as a council, have done a lot of good under my leadership."
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Editor's note: More from the candidates will be in the Oct. 22 edition of The TIMES.
General News on 10/15/2014