As the deadline nears to file for municipal elections, there are still several seats for which no one has filed.
Several officials have filed for re-election. The deadline is noon Friday, Aug. 17.
Duties of city clerk, according to Arkansas law:
• Have the custody of all the laws and ordinances of the city and shall keep a regular and correct journal of the proceedings of the city council.
• Shall be required to submit quarterly a full report and a detailed statement of the financial condition of the city. This report shall show receipts, disbursements, and balance on hand, together with all liabilities of the city and be submitted to the council in open session.
Duties of Mayor, according to Arkansas law:
• Preside over the meetings of the council;
• Vote to break a tie vote to pass an ordinance, bylaw, resolution or motion; in cities of first class, mayor may vote to establish a quorum;
• Sign all ordinances, resolutions, council minutes;
• If provided by council rules, may introduce ordinances and resolutions and recommend policy;
• May veto ordinances adopted by council; Council may override veto by two-thirds of total membership of council.
Duties of Council members, according to Arkansas law:
• Enact ordinances and bylaws concerning municipal affairs that are consistent with state law in order to promote the health, safety and welfare of the public;
• Has management and control of city finances and all real and personal property belonging to the city;
• Adopts a budget by ordinance or resolution for operation of the city by Feb. 1 of each year;
• Sets procedures by ordinance for making purchases that do not exceed the sumo f $20,000 in cities of the first class;
• Sets time and place for regular council meetings;
• May override the mayor’s appointment and removal of department heads by a two-third vote of total membership;
• May override mayor’s veto by two-thirds vote;
• May fill, by appointment, vacancy to the office of mayor if expired term is less than one year;
• May fill, by appointment, vacancy in mayor’s office by majority vote of aldermen or special election;
• Sets salaries of mayor, council and other municipal officials. Salaries may be increased but not decreased during the term of office except that official receiving salary may request a decrease
• Either establishes a city fire department or enters into contract (by ordinance) for city fire protection;
• Establishes a city police department and organizes it under general superintendence of the mayor;
• Sets rates for city utilities and establishes fees for city services;
• Enacts ordinances establishing sales taxes and referring same to voters;
• Takes actions leading to annexation of territory to city;
• Establishes and certifies to the county clerk the amount of property taxes to be levied within the city prior to the regular meeting of the quorum court in November of each year;
• May establish (and abolish) various commissions to manage and operate such services as parks, utilities … as provided by state law.
A new name is on the ballot in Pea Ridge with Cody Keene filing for a City Council seat in Pea Ridge. Keene filed for City Council, Ward 2, Position 2, a position currently held by Lance Sanders.
Keene, 30, and wife, Tiffany, have been married 11 years and have four children. He is project manager and estimator at Dean Crowder Construction. He and his wife own the Branded K, an event center north of town.
"I've grown up here all my life and I think we've done great things with our city," Keene said. "I think there's the next level we can reach. We need some younger people who can take it to the next level.
"We have a mayor who has done a great job for 20 years but we have a lot of people who aren't happy. There are people who want to have it the way it is, but in order to grow, we have to make a change. I deal with multi- million dollar contracts every day. I know how to use what we've got in order to make the most of what we've got," he said.
A native of Bentonville and graduate of Bentonville High School, Keene said "all my family is from Pea Ridge."
"We moved here in 2012 so our children could go to Pea Ridge public schools," he said. "I have a heart for Pea Ridge."
He is children's pastor and men's Bible study leader as well as an active member of The Ridge Community Church. He is a soccer coach for spring Pea Ridge Thunder Soccer.
Bob Cottingham, Ward 1, Position 2, filed for reelection. He has held the position since 2005. He said he is seeking reelection because there is a lot of unfinished business to be taken care of.
Two persons have filed for mayor in Pea Ridge with Mayor Jackie Crabtree seeking a sixth term and Mechel Wall filing to fill the seat.
City Clerk Sandy Button, who has held the City Clerk position from 1985-2000 and from 2005 unto now (for a total of 28 years), has filed for re-election. The position earns $200 per City Council meeting attended. Button is also office manager for City Hall and Chief Court Clerk. She said she was hired as court clerk in 1977 by the Pea Ridge City Council. In addition to the monthly fee paid for Council attendance, Button's salary, which she said is for office manager and court clerk, is $61,068. She has been employed by the city for 40 years.
Garfield
Garfield Mayor Gary Blackburn filed for re-election for a second term.
Blackburn, 68, who was elected four years ago said he is running again because there's "unfinished business."
Blackburn, who retired from the U.S. Postal Service after serving as postmaster for 22 years at Avoca, Garfield, Bentonville and Rogers and lastly as plant manager of mail processing in Fayetteville for three years also retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve after 23 years. He served one year as mayor of Avoca (in 1979) before moving to Garfield in 1980. He served on the Garfield City Council one term before becoming mayor.
He and his wife, Vicki, have three grown children and six grandchildren. They are members of the Garfield Church of Christ.
Two Garfield City Council members filed for election -- David H. Edwards for Ward 1, Position 2, a seat currently held by Terry Warren, and James Teeselink, Ward 2, Position 1, a seat he currently holds.
All four council positions are up for election in Garfield.
Gateway
In Gateway, Mayor Andrew Tillman filed for reelection.
Four aldermen filed for reelection. They are Don Deckard, Position 1; Steve Guck, Position 2; Sharon Barnett, Position 3; and Cheryl Tillman, Position 5. All five positions are up for election.
General News on 08/15/2018