Benton County Judge, Sheriff candidates spar at forum

Benton County Judge Bob Clinard (left) and primary challenger Justice of the Peace Barry Moehring participate Thursday in a forum for Republican candidates at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.
Benton County Judge Bob Clinard (left) and primary challenger Justice of the Peace Barry Moehring participate Thursday in a forum for Republican candidates at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.

BENTONVILLE -- Six Benton County candidates running in the March 1 Republican primary election sounded a common theme of the need for leadership Thursday as they fielded questions in a candidate forum at Northwest Arkansas Community College.

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Benton County Judge Bob Clinard (left) and primary challenger Justice of the Peace Barry Moehring participate Thursday in a forum for Republican candidates at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.

The two candidates for county judge -- Bob Clinard and Barry Moehring -- and the four candidates for sheriff -- Sheriff Kelley Cradduck, Lowell Police Lt. Paul Pillaro, Siloam Springs Police Cpl. Timothy Filbeck, and Sheriff's Office Maj. Shawn Holloway -- shared a table at a forum in the Peterson Auditorium of the Shewmaker Center for Global Business Development. The event was hosted by the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce, and Northwest Arkansas Emerging Leaders.

Sheriff candidates

The four Republican candidates for Benton County sheriff will be guest speakers at noon Tuesday for the Benton County Republican Women club meeting at Golden Corral restaurant in Rogers.

Source: Staff report

The candidates were asked questions in turn by a moderator and given a limited time to respond. Given those constraints, there was little direct interaction among the candidates, who emphasized their backgrounds and experiences while offering some specifics.

In the race for sheriff, incumbent Cradduck said the Sheriff's Office and jail have been recognized statewide for excellence. Cradduck frequently pointed to the office's cyber-crimes unit as a point of pride. The office has worked 50 cases in the past year, Cradduck and has identified hundreds more potential offenders that could be dealt with if the office was able to increase the manpower devoted to the unit.

"We've accomplished a lot in the last three years," Cradduck said.

Shawn Holloway agreed the cyber-crimes unit is working well. Holloway also pointed to other areas of the offices he directly supervised in his three years with the office -- the SWAT team, the Beaver Lake patrol and the aviation division -- that have also greatly improved.

"The SWAT team was in a shambles," Holloway said. "Now it's as well-trained and ready to go as any in the country."

Filbeck said a priority of his administration, if he's elected, will be to establish a highway safety program where the Sheriff's Office works in conjunction with municipal police departments and the State Police to do monthly sobriety checkpoints throughout the county. Filbeck also said he'll work to rebuild the image of the Sheriff's Office.

"We, as law enforcement officers, are only as good as you, the people, perceive us to be," he said.

Pillaro stressed openness and interaction between the Sheriff's Office and the public. He said he enjoys teaching as an instructor as the law enforcement academy and as a martial arts instructor. He said law enforcement officers have to have a strong connection to the community.

"I believe we go to work every day to protect you," he said.

The candidates did jab at one another at times during the forum. Cradduck said his experience as sheriff trumps the background of the other candidates.

"I am the only one up here who's sat in that chair at the Sheriff's Office," he said. "Mr. Holloway does what I allow him to do."

At another point in the evening, Holloway took Cradduck to task for failing to set a standard of leadership for the employees at the Sheriff's Office and jail.

"To keep people accountable, you have to set a standard yourself," Holloway said. "Yes, the place is running good. That's because there are good people there to keep it running."

The debate over leadership also surfaced in the part of the forum devoted to Clinard and Moehring. Clinard stressed his experience as county judge while Moehring called for change. The two clashed over issues from roads to ambulance service to a new courts building with leadership coming into play on each of those issues.

Moehring said the county judge needs to show leadership in developing comprehensive planning for government. The Road Department was one example, with Moehring saying the county has no plan.

"What we have today is a road list," Moehring said, adding the department is incorrectly evaluated by the number of miles of roads that are paved.

"The issue is are we paving the right roads?" Moehring asked.

Clinard said he's proud of the work being done by the Road Department and said the county also works with cites and other entities, responding to a criticism Moehring made during the debate. Clinard ticked off a list of projects with Bentonville, Bella Vista and others. Clinard said calls for planning don't mean much without real accomplishments.

"We have all those plans in place," he said. "Plans don't mean anything. Boots on the ground getting the job done is what really matters."

NW News on 01/15/2016

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