Both candidates for the Ward 4 position on the Little Rock Board of Directors say public safety will be their No. 1 priority.
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Capi Peck, 63, owner of Trio's restaurant, and Jeff Yates, 50, managing partner at ARK Commercial and Investment Real Estate, are seeking to fill the position that will be left vacant by Brad Cazort, who decided not to run for re-election after 20 years on the board.
Early voting starts Monday, and Election Day is Nov. 8.
City directors are paid $18,000 a year, and the term is four years. Only the three at-large positions and the Ward 4 seat are up for election this year. In two years, the remaining six ward positions and the mayor will be up for election.
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Ward 4 borders Wards 3, 5 and 6. The ward extends west from Mississippi Street and south of Cantrell Road to reach past Interstate 430 to Pinnacle Valley Road on the ward's west end. The ward stretches north from Markham Street and the eastern portion of Mara Lynn Drive, and north and east of Hinson Road to the Arkansas River.
Roy Brooks' name also will appear on the ballot for the Ward 4 position, even though he withdrew from the race. If Brooks wins the majority of votes, a vacancy will be declared and city directors will decide who will fill it.
Peck and Yates said they have spent a lot of time talking with constituents in the ward and that crime is everyone's main focus.
Peck said she's supportive of programs like Coffee With a Cop and Neighborhood Watch that get residents acquainted with patrol officers.
"I think the citizens really do need to serve as the first line of defense with their eyes and ears to report crime," she said.
"I think we are at a crossroads in so many different areas in the city, and I'm looking to have a very transparent and collaborative government so we can move forward and build a better Little Rock for generations to come," Peck said.
Yates said Little Rock's repeated ranking on national lists of high-crime areas "is detrimental to attracting residents and businesses."
The city needs to increase the number of officers in its community-oriented policing program, and there needs to be more mentoring and after-school programs "to help kids find the right path," Yates said.
Little Rock also must work with North Little Rock and Pulaski County to press the state to stop overloading the county jail with state prisoners, he said.
In addition to public safety, Peck and Yates said they want to be strong advocates for the city's public school system.
Yates also added that he wants to improve quality of life by investing in streets, fixing potholes and adding parks.
"Attracting more residents to the existing city will result in a broader tax base that will pay for more investment in the things that make a city great," he said.
Peck said she and her team had knocked on more than 800 doors by last week, and they plan to canvass all of Ward 4 before Election Day. She wants to focus on "bridging the divide between decisions makers at the city level and the community," she said.
"I think I am very well qualified to listen to the neighborhood, being a 37-year resident in Ward 4 and having lived in Little Rock my whole life," Peck said.
She said she's uniquely qualified for the position because of her roots in Little Rock, citing her pedigree as a fourth-generation small-business owner in the city's hospitality industry.
"I listen with compassion and I care. Another thing is I'll be a strong advocate for the Little Rock schools. I've attended public schools my whole life. I'm a community volunteer and member of my alumni association at Hall High. I'm involved in so many different civic and charitable organizations throughout Little Rock. I'm very involved in the Hunger Relief Alliance, and I give back at every opportunity I can. I think that will serve me well as city director," Peck said.
Similarly, Yates pointed to his civic involvement as his qualification for the position.
"I have the leadership experience to bring positive change to Little Rock. I have been actively giving my time and talent, as well as donations, to many, many civic, charitable and professional groups for over 15 years. That experience and the years of listening to people's concerns have brought me to seek the city director position with plans already in hand and ready to make a difference," Yates said, adding that he's endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police. "I don't just talk about doing things, I work with others to get things done and get them done effectively and efficiently."
Metro on 10/23/2016