Spa City's mayor resigns in letter; no reason given

Mayor Ruth Carney takes a question during a a program for 4th graders at Hot Springs Intermediate School Friday, Janaury 27, 2017.
Mayor Ruth Carney takes a question during a a program for 4th graders at Hot Springs Intermediate School Friday, Janaury 27, 2017.

HOT SPRINGS -- Mayor Ruth Carney abruptly resigned Friday a little more than halfway into her second term in a letter she hand-delivered to City Hall.

The resignation, effective immediately, came as a surprise to colleagues.

City Manager David Frasher said he was out of the office when Carney turned in her resignation.

"I gave her a call to say, 'It's not April 1, is it?'" Frasher said. "I had a nice visit with her on the phone. She told me she had recently been to Florida and had some time to reflect on things. Sometimes when you get away you have a different perspective."

Carney declined to comment on what prompted her resignation when contacted via text message. In her letter she thanked the residents of Hot Springs "for the privilege of serving our community and the opportunities for professional and personal development that [have] been provided to me during the past seven years. It's been a journey to remember."

Becca Clark, the District 3 city director who serves as vice mayor, will preside over city board meetings until the board appoints a new mayor.

District 4 City Director Larry Williams said he was caught off guard as well by Carney's decision.

"I enjoyed working with Mayor Carney during my time on the board," he said. "We enjoyed a good working relationship."

Carney's last official function as mayor ended contentiously, with city directors voting to adjourn Tuesday night's city board meeting over her objection. Carney wanted public comments to be aired on television despite a board policy restricting the public comment section until after the board adjourns and the cameras stop rolling.

People in the gallery wanted to address the board on air about ordinances it had adopted over the past year to annex areas between the corporate limits and Lake Hamilton. Earlier that evening, the board repealed ordinances annexing Enclave Study Areas C and D -- a combined square mile where about 900 people live -- rather than setting a date for a special election on the two measures.

"I will not, as long as I'm mayor, prohibit them from having a voice, televised," Carney told the board. "I will not prohibit the citizens of our city from having a voice on these issues we've been struggling with."

Carney took a roll-call vote on the motion to adjourn and cast the lone dissent. Board meetings are usually adjourned by a voice vote.

In November, Carney accused the board of meeting without giving public notice and of violating the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Frasher, the city manager, said serving on the board can be a thankless job. While Frasher runs Hot Springs' day-to-day operations, the city board -- including the mayor -- serves without pay as Hot Springs' legislative and executive body.

"I thanked her for her service," he said. "I think people tend to forget board members don't get paid anything for their service and the time they put in. She gave seven years to the city.

"A lot of people like to complain about government, but when it comes to putting your name on the ballot and serving, the line gets pretty short."

The board will consider applicants to serve the remainder of Carney's second term, which runs through next year. Applicants have to be registered voters who have resided in the city for at least 30 days and who are 21 or older. Per the city code, applicants will have to file a statement of financial interest, a petition for nomination that includes the signatures of 50 registered voters residing in the city, and submit a resume.

The board will select which applicants it wants to interview and will elect an appointee by a secret ballot majority. The appointee will be eligible to run for mayor in the 2018 election.

State law empowers a mayor in a city-manager form of government to preside over all board meetings. The mayor is recognized as the head of city government for all ceremonial purposes and for the purposes of military law.

The mayor also signs all written agreements and contracts on behalf of the city and has a vote on all matters that come before the board. The city code says the mayor is responsible for establishing the agenda for each board meeting.

Carney narrowly won re-election in 2014 with a plurality over Pat McCabe and David Quast, outpolling McCabe by 40 votes after McCabe paid for a recount of 254 absentee ballots. Carney was first elected mayor in November 2010 after defeating incumbent Mike Bush and Carroll Weatherford.

State Desk on 03/11/2017

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