BENTONVILLE — Candidates for City Council spent upward of $13,000 this election cycle attempting to keep or gain a seat in the council chambers, as of Tuesday.
Almost $10,000 came from three candidates not on the council. The largest fundraiser of the group, James Smith, served on the council in 2007 before resigning to take a job in Texas. Smith faces incumbent Bill Burckart for the Ward 3, Position 2 seat.
Smith raised $4,182 through Tuesday, according to a campaign finance report filed with the Benton County Clerk’s Office. He loaned $636 to his campaign, and 15 donors contributed a combined $3,500.
The largest donations were $500 each from Jordan Jeter, a Springdale real estate agent, and Greg Fogle of Bella Vista, president of Nabholz Construction.
At A Glance
Campaign Finance Reports
Candidates must file a campaign finance report with the Benton County Clerk’s Office no later than seven days before an election if they spent or raised at least $500. Reports must include the names of a contributors who donated more than $50 and a list of all expenses more than $100. All candidates, regardless of the amount of money raised or spent, must file a final report of all contributions not previously disclosed within 30 days after the election.
Source: Arkansas Code 7-6-208
Bart Hester, a real estate developer elected in May to the state Legislature, donated $200 to Smith’s campaign. Other contributions include $250 from Alan Lewis, an attorney with Mitchell Williams Law Firm; $250 from Ed and Joan Clifford of Bentonville; $400 from Robert Zimmerman of Rogers; and $250 from Blake Hanby, owner of City Title & Closing in Fayetteville.
Expenses went to cover media consulting, T-shirts, signs, radio ads and printing costs.
Smith’s opponent, Bill Burckart, didn’t file a contribution report. Arkansas law requires municipal candidates to file a report at least seven days before the election if they received or spent more than $500, according to Andrew Morgan with the Arkansas Municipal League. Tuesday was the deadline to file the reports.
Burckart said he didn’t spend $500, instead using leftover signs from a previous election and slapping a “Re-elect” sticker on them. He did receive a campaign contribution from the Northwest Arkansas Board of Realtors, though he wasn’t sure Tuesday the exact total of the contribution. He said he donated the money to Havenwood, a nonprofit in Bentonville that provides housing and counseling to at-risk, single-parent families.
“I can’t see spending a lot of money for a council seat,” Burckart said. “That’s not what this should be about.”
In the contested Ward 1, Position 1 race, newcomer Stephanie Orman outspent incumbent Mary Baggett 2-to-1. Orman raised $2,050 and spent $2,559 by Monday.
Contributions to Orman’s campaign came from Reliable Imports & RV in Springfield, Mo., $1,000; Missouri Neon in Springfield, Mo., $200; and Terry Orman Sr. of Fayetteville, $800.
Expenses covered a digital billboard, newspaper advertising, push cards and signs, according to the campaign report.
Baggett paid for her campaign, spending $1,121 on signs, cards and newspaper advertising.
Octavio Sanchez and Burton Head will face off for the open Ward 4, Position 1 seat. Sanchez spent $3,188 through Monday, while Head spent $507.
Sanchez loaned $2,938 to his campaign and accepted $250 in donations. Contributions were from William P. Adams of Rogers, $100; the Republic Women of Bentonville, $50; and Duane Neal of Bentonville, $100.
Head received one contribution of $580 from the Northwest Arkansas Board of Realtors. He spent the money on signs and newspaper advertising, according to his campaign report.
Chris Sooter raised $1,410 through Oct. 19 and spent $756 to keep his Ward 1, Position 2 seat. Amp Sign and Banner provided an in-kind donation of $530 for signs.
Contributions to Sooter’s campaign include $300 from Alan Lewis with Mitchell Williams Law Firm and $580 from the Northwest Arkansas Board of Realtors. Sooter said Tuesday he hadn’t raised or spent any money since the Oct. 19 filing.
Sooter’s opponent, Joey Williams, didn’t file a campaign report.
In the Ward 3, Position 1 race, neither candidate filed a report. Incumbent Ed Austin and his opponent, Leah Williams, said Tuesday they hadn’t raised or spent more than $500. Both said they were close to that mark in expenditures, but hadn’t reached it.