3 tout qualifications for Little Rock board

Little Rock Board of Directors, at-large, candidate biographies.
Little Rock Board of Directors, at-large, candidate biographies.

Incumbent Gene Fortson and challengers Jason Ferguson and Clayton Johnson say voters have a choice of three very different candidates for the only contested at-large seat on the Little Rock Board of Directors in the Nov. 8 election.


















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Three at-large seats and the Ward 4 position on the city board are on the ballot this year. The remaining six positions and the mayor will be up for election in two years.

One at-large incumbent, Dean Kumpuris, did not draw an opponent this year.

Molly Miller was running against at-large incumbent Joan Adcock, but recently withdrew her candidacy. Miller's name will still appear on the ballot, and if she gets the majority of votes, there will be a vacancy in the position. The city board would then vote on who would fill the vacancy.

[INTERACTIVE LIST: Find the local races in your county or city]

City directors are paid $18,000 a year, and each position is for a four-year term. Adcock is the longest-serving Little Rock board member with 24 years.

The contested at-large seat in this year's race is that of Fortson, 79, who was appointed to a vacancy on the board in 2006 and has been re-elected ever since. Ferguson, 49, is pastor at First Christian Church of Sherwood and a chaplain at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Johnson, 65, is a teacher at Premier High School of Little Rock, a charter school.

Fortson said he wants to continue the progress the city has made. He mentioned the ongoing $70.5 million renovation of the Robinson Center, in which he played a role as chairman of the Advertising and Promotion Commission's finance committee.

He's looking forward to the city's implementation of its Youth Master Plan and to continuing infrastructure improvements started with funds from a 1 percent sales tax approved by voters in 2011, he said.

"We also need more police. We are understaffed," Fortson said. "That's going to take a while, but even beyond that, you put 10,000 police on the streets and they can't prevent all crime.

"We need to try to take a different approach, I think, doing what we can working with the school system and others to see if we can't do some things to head off what's happening in the 12- to 16-, 17-year-old age groups where we had higher instances of crime."

Johnson is also running on a public safety and quality-of-life platform. He wants to start a community policing advisory council.

"We need something that acts as an overseer of all issues in the city ... something that can review enacted policy of the department, that citizens can come in to and talk about what needs done, without having to go through uniformed police officers and code officers," Johnson said.

In regard to quality of life, Johnson said some areas lack the quality of life of others. Resources need to be directed to those areas, he said.

"You've got to go to those wards that have the resources, talk to them and explain to them it is in their best interest to invest some of the capital funds they have now in those parts of the city, and let's bring that standard of living up," Johnson said. "Let's bring the infrastructure and quality of life in those areas up. It will lower the crime rate, probably increase property values, which will then generate more revenue that will pay for things we are looking to pay for."

Ferguson is running on a platform of transparency, civility and accessibility.

He said certain segments of the city's business community are overrepresented on the board and that the average person can't get his voice heard.

"I think Mr. Fortson more supports his constituents who give him money for his campaign, and I don't think he's done a lot outside," Ferguson said.

He has two efforts he would pursue if elected. One would be to lobby for a change in law so anyone appointed to a vacancy, like Fortson, is not allowed to run for re-election.

The other thing he wants to do is lobby to change campaign finance rules so board members cannot vote on any proposal dealing with people or businesses who have donated money to their political campaigns.

Ferguson is also against the strong-mayor form of government, where the city manager and mayor are paid similar salaries.

"That makes for inefficiency," Ferguson said. "There's a lot of money going into the mayor salary on things that could be spent in the city. How many police officers' salaries or second pair of turnouts for Little Rock firefighters would that pay for?"

Each candidate described why voters should check the box next to his name at the polls.

Fortson said his experience makes him most qualified.

"I think I bring a record of public service, not just on the city board, but prior to that on the Airport Commission and in other activities," Fortson said. "All my adult life has been involved in this city. My family is here. Their future and my future is here. I am aware of and capable of working to help solve the issues that face the city. My record speaks for itself."

Johnson said his civic involvement at the neighborhood level for years makes him most qualified.

"I'd be a proactive director with a proactive leadership. ... I have a history of actually doing neighborhood improvements," Johnson said.

Ferguson said his background and ability to communicate with the average person make him the best fit for the position.

"I don't think Gene Fortson represents people like me, who know what it's like to work two or three jobs to put a roof over their head," Ferguson said. "I pastor a small church and work at UAMS full time, plus. I don't think he can relate to school teachers, to what policemen go through, to what news reporters go through. I have a diverse breadth of experience in a lot of different areas."

Metro on 10/23/2016

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