SPRINGDALE — A political newcomer wants to reduce the size of the city government and protect the community from a United Nations initiative.
Zack Blake, 31, said he opposes all tax increases and debt spending.
“My goal is to shrink the scope of government to allow the private sector, through competition, to handle things more efficiently,” Blake said.
Blake is running against incumbent Rick Evans and challenger Howard Cook for the Ward 2, Position 2 seat. Ward 2 is in the southeast corner of Springdale.
Position 2 council seats in each of the four wards, along with the offices of mayor and city clerk, are up for election Nov. 6. Council candidates must live in the ward they represent but are elected by the entire city.
Council members are elected to four-year terms and are paid $850 monthly. Filing for municipal office began July 27 and ends at noon Aug. 17.
Profile
Zack Blake
Springdale City Council
Ward 2, Position 2
Age: 31
Residency: Springdale for eight years
Family: Wife, Lauren; four children
Employment: Arvest Bank
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas
Military Experience: None
Political Experience: None
U.N. Agenda 21 has been a primary reason for many Tea Party and Libertarian candidates across the country to enter local government, Blake said.
Agenda 21, according to the U.N. website, is a blueprint of actions to be taken when humans directly affect the environment to encourage sustainability. The American Thinker, a daily conservative online magazine, calls Agenda 21 a direct assault on private property rights and American sovereignty.
The city could save money by dropping its master trail plan and sticking to the nuts and bolts of what government is supposed to be, Blake said. The private sector would pick up the slack from free market demands, he said, and do a better job with only those who want to use the trails paying for them.
The purpose of the city isn’t to take our money to buy us parks and other perks, Blake said.
Residents should vote against the bond issues in the special election Aug. 14, Blake said. The election would allow the city to sell bonds to finance infrastructure improvements in streets, fire stations and parks. Repayment of the bonds would come from an existing sales tax.
The vote wouldn’t create an additional tax directly, Blake said, but would create the need for more taxes indirectly.
“Who is going to keep up the roads, the parks and the fire departments?” Blake asked. “That will cost money.”
This is still a fragile time economically, Blake said.
“Assuming more debt has become a way of life for our culture,” Blake said. “Governments shouldn’t be that way. We need to reduce our tax dollars and lessen our debt load. The private sector can take care of a lot of things.”