FORT SMITH — Mayor Ray Baker made his first public appearance in his campaign for re-election Friday and said he was in the race because he loves the job he’s held for 20 years.
Baker, 71, had been out of the public eye since August for illnesses that had him hospitalized as recently as Thursday to fight an infection.
“One doesn’t ask for things that happen to them in life, and you have to take what’s hurled out at you,” he said.
Baker appeared gaunt as he entered the room at the downtown Holiday Inn for a candidate forum hosted by the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturing Executives Association.
He looked too small for the gray suit he wore and quipped with the 100 people who attended the forum that they should supply him with good food so he could gain back some weight.
But despite his frail appearance, Baker seemed enthusiastic and spoke with a strong, if raspy, voice.
During the hour-long forum, Baker reiterated his stand that the mayor in Fort Smith is a ceremonial position and that the chamber of commerce was the entity to take the lead in economic development.
Sandy Sanders, Baker’s opponent, has said he would use the position of mayor to exercise his leadership skills and business contacts to address economic development issues and work with others in the city to recruit new business and industry and help existing businesses to expand.
“In just a few days, and Ray was very clear about this, voters will have a clear choice, the status quo or leadership for economic development,” Sanders said.
Sanders is a retired executive from Whirlpool Corp. after 32 years and has since worked for six years as executive director of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority and, more recently, as interim president of the chamber of commerce.
He said Fort Smith is at an economic crossroads with many challenges before it.
“Now is the time for Fort Smith to refocus and move with new leadership towardeconomic growth,” Sanders said. “We need strong leadership to work together to bring new jobs to Fort Smith.”
But Baker said Sanders had the wrong idea about the role of mayor, that it was a ceremonial position. If Sanders didn’t like the role of mayor, Baker said, he needed to change the form of government.
In a city administrator/director form of government in Arkansas, a hired city administrator leads the day-to-day operations of the city while the elected mayor is the ceremonial head who presides over city board of directors meetings and has veto power.
“You cannot have two individuals interacting and conflicting with different philosophies and views on how to run the city,” Baker said.
Sanders responded that the mayor is more than a ceremonial job. The mayor is the city’s chief executive. He should lead the board in making timely decisions on issues, Sanders said. The mayor serves as the chairman of the Advertising and Promotion Commission, leads in the appointment of people to city boards and commissions and is the city’s spokesman, he said.
Baker bristled toward the end of the forum when a past mayoral opponent, developer Ernest “Buddy” Coleman,questioned Baker’s leadership in the failed attempt several years ago to persuade voters to pass a tax for construction of a sports complex north of downtown.
“The difference between ‘I tried’ and ‘I did’ is leadership,” Coleman said.
“There’s no way you can level those charges at me,” Baker responded.
Baker then said Fort Smith has not progressed as it should because of groups that work behind the scenes for their own interests and that have tried to run out of office those who stood in their way. He didn’t name anyone.
“I’ve battled those groups over the years,” he said.
Sanders responded as if Baker was talking about him. He said he was running for mayor because he loves Fort Smith and thought he could help it progress. He said no one pushed him or recruited him.
“You told me personally in my office that you had been recruited,” Baker said.
Sanders replied, “I told you that a group of friends had talked to me and said they would like to see me run for mayor.”
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 10/23/2010