Filing period to begin for candidates in northwest Arkansas municipal races

Anyone who ever thought about running for local office in northwest Arkansas can take the leap beginning Friday.

The municipal candidate filing period will last until noon Aug. 17. The positions up for grabs vary city to city.

The Benton and Washington county clerks will handle the paperwork, except for one form. That form, called a statement of financial interest, has a due date of Aug. 20 and goes to the city clerk, not the county.

Municipal candidates have to get enough signatures on a petition in order to get on the ballot. Candidates in first-class cities, such as Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and Pea Ridge have to get at least 30 ward-specific or citywide signatures, depending on the position. Second-class cities, such as Goshen, Tontitown, Cave Springs and Highfill, require at least 10. The county clerks' offices will certify the signatures and have lists available for the different classes of cities.

Candidates also have to fill out a political practices pledge. Municipal elections are nonpartisan, but the pledge means the candidate agrees to comply with state laws regarding running for office.

There's also the affidavit of eligibility, which is a one-page document that's exactly what it sounds like.

The statement of financial interest covers sources of income, investments, business interests and other financial information. Only new candidates need to turn in this form; incumbents submit the form annually on Jan. 31.

All four of those documents are associated with filing for running for office. In a separate document, the campaign contribution and expenditure report is where a candidate lines up all of his donations and what he's spent the money on in trying to get elected. Nonmonetary contributions have to be included. The names of every donor go on this form. It has to be filled out a few times during the course of a campaign, first as a pre-election report Oct. 30 and then a final report after the election Dec. 31.

Per state law, a candidate must be a registered voter and resident in the ward he wants to represent. A citywide position requires the candidate live in the city and be a registered voter in the city.

No fees are associated with running for local office.

In northeast Benton County, the mayor's terms expire in Pea Ridge (first-class city), Garfield (second-class city) and Gateway (incorporated town).

In Pea Ridge, Mayor Jackie Crabtree said he plans to file for re-election. Crabtree has served as mayor for the past 24 years. The City Clerk position is up for election. It is held by Sandy Button, who has been a city employee for 40 years and the city clerk for most of that time. Two of the four City Council positions are up for re-election in Pea Ridge.

In Garfield, all four council positions expire Dec. 31, 2018. In Gateway, all five council positions expire Dec. 31, 2018.

Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse, a past president of the Arkansas Municipal League, said anyone who wants to run for municipal office should do so because he genuinely wants to serve the residents of the city. Candidates who seek election over one issue or grievance usually find there's a lot more to the job if elected, he said.

Running for office goes beyond gaining name recognition, Sprouse said.

"It's always good to have more people involved -- people to step up who are willing to serve," he said. "If they're coming from the right place with the right motivation, that's the biggest thing for me."

The league welcomes anyone thinking about running for local office to contact the organization, said Whitnee Bullerwell, communications director. A guidebook is published on the league's website, arml.org.

"Public service is certainly a commitment. As an organization, we are committed to furthering the cities and towns of Arkansas," she said. "We're happy to work with them. We have a membership that is second to none. Our city officials in Arkansas go above and beyond. We're proud to serve them."