Bentonville Runoff Candidates Push Early Voting

BENTONVILLE -- For the four remaining City Council candidates, campaigning for the runoff election is more about educating voters about the process rather than promoting their platforms.

Voters can begin casting their ballots for the runoff at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Election day is Nov. 25.

Bill Burckart and Kristy Reed are vying for the Ward 3, Position 2 council seat. Jim Grider and Jim Webb are after the Ward 4, Position 2 spot.

A runoff election is required when there are more than two candidates in a race and none of them receive either a majority of votes or a plurality of 40 percent of the votes in the general election. A candidate who receives a plurality of 40 percent of the votes must obtain at least 20 percent more of the votes than the second-place candidate to avoid a runoff.

Burckart and Webb both received the most votes in their respective three-way races in the Nov. 4 general election, but not enough to avoid a runoff. Both said they've had to correct people who have congratulated them while continuing their campaign after the general election.

"They don't understand that you have to have 50 percent (plus one) of the votes," Webb said. "I'm still continuing to talk to as many people as I can and get out there."

Burckart, the incumbent, said campaigning after the general election has been about educating the public about the runoff and early voting.

"Their vote is more important than ever to determine the future of Bentonville," he said. "It's important that they not only know the candidates, but get out and vote."

With the election two days before Thanksgiving, Burckart said he's been informing people of early voting options as many people will be busy with family and friends the week of the election.

His conversations center more on voting than they do on policies as people say that the council has been doing a good job, he said.

"I'm not quite sure what she would do differently," Burckart said about Reed. "I haven't heard of anything she would do differently."

Reed said the first thing she would do if elected would be to understand the city's current plans and how they affect stakeholders. She would speak with department heads about their current challenges and ask them what their recommendations are for change.

She then would focus on infrastructure improvements and creative ways to keep tax dollars in the city, she said.

"The things I've really been thinking about is how can I take care of immediate needs and then also how can I cast a vision for the future," Reed said.

Reed also said her conversations with people have been different between the general election and runoff. The first round was about introducing herself and letting people know what she's done in the community, she said.

"Now it's actually, in a lot of cases, explaining how the runoff process works and explaining that they need to go out and vote again," Reed said.

Reed planned to travel to see family in her home state of Georgia the week of Thanksgiving, but changed plans to leave after the election.

The holiday hasn't had an affect on incumbent Grider's bid for re-election.

"It has had no impact whatsoever," he said. "I'm just working as hard as I can until the day of the 25th."

Grider said he is making sure the people he speaks with know about early voting. He's also highlighting the differences between his and Webb's qualifications for City Council.

Grider said he emphasizes the nearly two decades he's served the city on the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustments and City Council, his college degree and military experience. Grider's experiences are deeper and more diverse than Webb's, Grider said.

Grider said he's been knocking on more doors and placing more signs around the city since Nov. 4.

"I'm just working harder. I'm staying out longer. I'm talking to more people," he said. "My goal is to win this election. I'm going to go at it as diligently and hard as I can until this election is over."

Webb said the major distinctions between himself and Grider are he's new and has fresh ideas.

Webb said he would work on helping communication between department heads. For example, there's been times when the Street Department would pave a road then the Utility Department would come and have to cut into it a short time later, he said.

"I think all the right people are in place; they just need to do a better job of communicating," Webb said. "That would be one thing I would definitely work on."

Webb said he also would work on getting more shopping and entertainment amenities in Bentonville. He referenced Pinnacle Hills Promenade and the Walmart AMP in Rogers.

"There's no reason we should be sitting on the sidelines," he said.

Council members are elected at-large, meaning residents do not have to live in the ward of the candidate they wish to vote for. However, candidates must live in the ward they want to represent.

The last runoff election in Bentonville was in 2008. There were 11,439 voters who cast ballots in the general election. Only 333 voted in the runoff election, according to data from the Benton County Clerk's Office.

"There's always a lower turnout than the general election," said Tiffany Underwood, deputy clerk.

NW News on 11/17/2014