New year brings new roster of leaders

Smith now NLR mayor, vows end to suit by schools

Joe A. Smith kisses the hand of his granddaughter Kate Walker, 2, held by her mother and Joe's daughter Lauren. a short time before Smith took the oath of office to be mayor of North Little Rock from Judge Randy Morley at City Hall Tuesday.

Joe A. Smith kisses the hand of his granddaughter Kate Walker, 2, held by her mother and Joe's daughter Lauren. a short time before Smith took the oath of office to be mayor of North Little Rock from Judge Randy Morley at City Hall Tuesday.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

— Joe Smith took office as North Little Rock’s new mayor Tuesday morning and demonstrated his intent to quickly make good on promises of establishing partnerships within the community and healing some old wounds in the city.

North Little Rock, Little Rock, Sherwood and Wrightsville held swearingin ceremonies Tuesday for elected city officials within Pulaski County.

County elected officials will take their oaths of office at 6 p.m. today in the Pulaski County Administration Building. Jacksonville, Maumelle and Cammack Village officials will be sworn in at later dates.

Smith, 61, North Little Rock’s commerce and governmental affairs director for 22 years, was sworn in as the city’s 19th mayor at City Hall to begin the new year and is its first new mayor in 24 years. Patrick Hays retired after that many years in office, the longestserving mayor in the city’s history.

Shortly after taking the oath, Smith announced that the city and its school district are about to come together to bring an end to apolarizing legal battle.

“The first piece of legislation I file in two weeks will be to end the lawsuit with the school district,” Smith said to applause from supporters and city officials crammed into the City Hall foyer.

The North Little Rock School District sued the city and City Council in February 2009 after the council’s approval on New Year’s Eve of 2008 to combine and expand three tax incrementfinance districts in downtown that would divert tax revenue from the school district.

Such tax districts, commonly referred to as TIFs, divert an increase in property-tax value that schools normally would receive from a redevelopment on land considered to be blighted. Instead, the newly generated revenue is to pay for public improvements benefiting the TIF district, a diversion usually opposed by affectedschool districts.

The city wanted to use those funds to help build a parking lot next to a thenplanned hotel. Because of the lawsuit, neither development has materialized. The lawsuit contends that the City Council’s actions didn’t follow state requirements for establishing TIF districts, including public notification.

The TIF arguments and ensuing lawsuit strainedrelationships between the School Board and the City Council during Hays’ final term. Hays had pushed to form the TIF district.

Smith said he had requested that School Board President Scott Teague, who led the Pledge of Allegiance at Tuesday’s ceremony, be part of his swearing-in to demonstrate “our partnership with the school district.”

Teague said after the ceremony that he hadn’t expected Smith to make that public announcement about the lawsuit but that he wasn’t surprised because he and Smith had talked privately since the election about ending it. Smith won a runoff election for mayor Nov. 27, defeating state Rep.Tracy Steele.

“He reached out and asked if I could come here,” Teague said, adding that settling the lawsuit would “absolutely” help relations.

“We’ve got a lot of good things going in the city and in the school district,” Teague said. “This will be agreat opportunity for us to work together.”

In another healing move, Smith recited his oath of office as a number of North Little Rock police officers stood behind him. The local police officers’ union had supported Steele, Smith’s opponent, in what becamea sometimes contentious election campaign.

Smith had expressed disappointment during the campaign over the police union’s endorsement of his opponent because his father, G.L. Smith, was an assistant police chief in the city.

“I am honored to havethese police officers stand with me today,” Smith said, turning to give them a salute. “They are part of my family.”

Other North Little Rock officials taking the oath of office were district judges Randy Morley and Jim Hamilton; City Clerk and Collector Diane Whitbey; and Aldermen Beth White of Ward 1, Maurice Taylor of Ward 2, Bruce Foutch of Ward 3 and Charlie Hight of Ward 4.

In Little Rock, three judges and three city directors were sworn in at Little Rock City Hall. They included at-large City Director Joan Adcock, who becomes the capital city’s longest-serving city director. Adcock was first elected in 1992 and has won re-election five times.

Adcock said afterward that she had eclipsed the length of service of Charles Bussey, who gave her some good advice after she was first elected.

“He told me to have a heart for the city and a heart for the people,” recalled Adcock, who is regarded as a tenacious advocate for neighborhoods city-wide. “He was well-known for his heart for the city. So he was kind of my inspiration. He served for 20 years, and I wanted to do as well as he did.”

City Director B.J. Wyrickcalled Adcock “the mother of all our neighborhoods,” in introducing all city directors.

After Adcock had quietly recited her oath of office, Mayor Mark Stodola quipped: “That’s the softest voice I’ve ever heard out of Joan Adcock.”

Adcock said she would continue to run for city director “until God tells me it’s time to stop.”

Others taking the oath Tuesday for Little Rock positions were City Director Brad Cazort of Ward 4 and at-large City Director Gene Fortson, and Little Rock District Judges Alice Lightle, Vic Fleming and Mark Leverett. At-large City Director Dean Kumpuris was out of town and will be sworn in before the first board meeting, city officials said.

Front Section, Pages 1 on 01/02/2013