Grider Faces Two Challengers For Bentonville Council Seat

BENTONVILLE -- Anthony Ciabattari and Jim Webb will challenge incumbent Jim Grider for the Ward 4, Position 2 seat on the Bentonville City Council this year.

Ward 4 is the southeast corner of the city.

City Council elections will be held in the general election Nov. 4. Early voting begins Monday at each of the three Benton County Clerk's offices at 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville, 1428 W. Walnut St. in Rogers and 707 Lincoln St. in Siloam Springs.

Other early voting sites include Iberia Bank at 706 S. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville; Riordan Hall at 3 Riordan Road in Bella Vista; Intrust Bank at 3300 Market, Suite 130 in Rogers; Gravette Civic Center at 401 Charlotte St. in Gravette; Rogers/Lowell Chamber of Commerce at 506 Enterprise Drive in Lowell; and the Centerton Firehouse at 755 W. Centerton Blvd. in Centerton.

QUESTION: Why are you running for Bentonville City Council?

CIABATTARI: I am running for City Council to be a voice for the residents of Bentonville. My conservative values and strong business sense is what I will bring to the council to help Bentonville continue to thrive and grow. I believe we need representatives who are going to serve their constituents.

I will be available to the citizens of Bentonville. It is important for the residents to know who is representing them and who to contact with concerns and questions.

If I am elected to be a City Council member of Bentonville, I will vote with the best interests of the city, our residents and our future.

GRIDER: Living in Bentonville since 1969 has provided me with the experience of growing up in a community that offers so much opportunity.

I feel obligated to serve the citizens of Bentonville by running for re-election for alderman on the Bentonville City Council, Ward 4 Position 2, and believe it is the right thing to do. I am indebted to Bentonville, and I will use my experience and relationships built through my years of service to influence positive changes that will benefit this city and improve the lives of the citizens of Bentonville.

I am driven by my personal and emotional investments in this wonderful community. It has provided my family and me with more than we could have ever dreamed possible. I am committed to the continued growth of Bentonville, but at the same time preserving the qualities of life, character of community and providing a place for families to grow and prosper. Bentonville is my home.

WEBB: When my own father, Mike Webb, was on the Bentonville City Council in the 1970s, I learned how important it is to have strong city leadership committed to preserving what makes Bentonville great.

I feel a strong civic obligation to serve this great community, which has provided a phenomenal quality of life for me and my growing family. I am very passionate about making sure Bentonville maintains its rich and historic culture while it continues to develop and grow.

QUESTION: What do you see as Bentonville's biggest issue that needs to be addressed? How would you address it?

CIABATTARI: One of the biggest issues is keeping up with our community's growth. We need to make sure that we are competitive with our surrounding cities. We need to make sure that we have the cutting-edge police department, schools, roads, utility services and make sure that our infrastructure is keeping up with our growth.

Bentonville also needs to continue to support our small business owners that are operating within the city and help attract new businesses, which will bring additional revenue and create more jobs. We need to help remove unnecessary barriers that impede economic growth, and we need to provide a stable and predictable business-friendly environment.

If elected, I will take the initiative to bring economic development to our city by working with my fellow council members, mayor and other city officials.

I will labor to ensure that your voices are heard and acted upon when possible. None of this will happen over night; the growth of Bentonville is a work in progress. I feel that we can accomplish this by making the commitment to work together toward common goals, to insure that we have the city's residents and our future in mind when doing so.

GRIDER: I believe growth is our most important concern. Bentonville is growing at a sustained and manageable pace. However, with growth comes a need for more police, fire, streets, water, sewer, traffic control and electricity. We will need to insure our infrastructure can and will meet the needs of our citizens.

The best way to address our growth is planning for the future. During my six years on Planning Commission and 14 years on City Council, the changes I have seen have been unprecedented.

With my experience and the professional Planning Department, the city is well prepared to meet the challenges that growth brings. To me, the most important issue is to recognize that we cannot wait for growth to happen, we must be prepared for it.

WEBB: I believe the biggest issue is the lack of collaboration and communication between city leadership and city departments, with the result being a haphazard approach to city improvement projects connected to roads, sidewalks and utilities. The result being projects take too long to come to fruition, and when they start they take too long to complete.

I'll work to build a more collaborative approach to infrastructure developments, ensuring we start with a clear vision and focus on executing those projects more efficiently.

QUESTION: What amenities, if any, does Bentonville not have that it should have to maintain or enhance its quality of life?

CIABATTARI: I feel that Bentonville has so much to offer the community -- Crystal Bridges, bike trails, First Fridays on the square, downtown farmers market, and the city will soon open the community recreation center.

One of the main things the city needs is a convention center, one that is actually in the city of Bentonville, to host special events and meetings. Without meeting space we miss out on sales tax revenue and our hotel, restaurant and retail businesses lose sales to our neighboring cities.

I also feel that we need to add to the programs that we have for our youth in order to give them more to do within our city. One way this can be done is by bringing in businesses to the city that offer fun activities for families and children.

GRIDER: What could we add to the city of Bentonville that would add to our quality of life?

We have so much to be thankful for already, best park system in the state offering programs for all, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art attracting people from around the world, coming soon the Amazeum, a learning center for young people, the Arend Art Center offering community-driven programming, the Bentonville Square First Friday and Farmers Market, the community center nearing completion, a contribution to the health and enjoyment of our citizens.

A large shopping complex that contains nationally-known brand stores and a movie complex with first-run, newly-released movies would be an excellent addition to our community.

Instead of going to Fayetteville for Broadway shows, internationally known entertainers and cultural arts I believe that a Walton Arts Center would flourish in Bentonville. People would enjoy an entertainment district that could offer up-and-coming musicians and independent entertainers.

These additions add another facet to Bentonville that would offer a more diverse set of possibilities for quality of life. With our continuing growth we will be able to support this type of cultural and economic growth.

WEBB: Bentonville has outstanding attractions: Crystal Bridges, Walton's 5-10 and 21c Hotel. However, we've been slower than neighboring communities to develop entertainment and shopping options.

I will work with small business owners to bring more family entertainment and shopping options to Bentonville and keep our tax dollars here.

QUESTION: What makes you the best candidate?

CIABATTARI: First of all I am a people person, and I love our community. I am a person of integrity that will stand behind what is right and best for our city, while listening to citizens' needs and concerns and making sure they are addressed.

I will be available for our residents and business owners to be the voice that makes a difference. Please call me if you have any questions, 479-544-1927. I would appreciate your vote.

GRIDER: I am the best qualified candidate to serve the citizens of Bentonville in Ward 4, Position 2 because of the following: Married 40 years, father of two daughters, grandfather of three grandchildren, U.S. Army retired, University of Arkansas graduate, six years serving on the Planning Commission and Board of Adjustments and 14 years serving the people of Bentonville as alderman.

All the life experience above has made me what I am today. I believe that I am determined, devoted, have a strong belief in family, a deep since of service and a real appreciation for the people who make up this community.

WEBB: I'm very involved in this community, and I'm committed to doing what it takes to ensure that our quality of life continues to improve. My wife and I have chosen to raise our family here.

My history in this community and my vision for what this community can be is what makes me the best candidate for this job.

NW News on 10/18/2014