Filing period to begin for candidates in Northwest Arkansas municipal races

Anyone who ever thought about running for local office in Northwest Arkansas can take the leap beginning Friday.

The municipal candidate filing period will last until noon Aug. 17. The positions up for grabs vary city to city.

The Benton and Washington county clerks will handle the paperwork, except for one form. That form, called a statement of financial interest, has a due date of Aug. 20 and goes to the city clerk, not the county.

Municipal candidates have to get enough signatures on a petition in order to get on the ballot. Candidates in first-class cities, such as Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville, have to get at least 30 ward-specific or citywide signatures, depending on the position. Second-class cities, such as Goshen, Tontitown, Cave Springs and Highfill, require at least 10. The county clerks' offices will certify the signatures and have lists available for the different classes of cities.

Candidates also have to fill out a political practices pledge. Municipal elections are nonpartisan, but the pledge means the candidate agrees to comply with state laws regarding running for office.

There's also the affidavit of eligibility, which is a one-page document that's exactly what it sounds like.

The statement of financial interest covers sources of income, investments, business interests and other financial information. Only new candidates need to turn in this form; incumbents submit the form annually on Jan. 31.

All four of those documents are associated with filing for running for office. In a separate document, the campaign contribution and expenditure report is where a candidate lines up all of his donations and what he's spent the money on in trying to get elected. Nonmonetary contributions have to be included. The names of every donor go on this form. It has to be filled out a few times during the course of a campaign, first as a pre-election report Oct. 30 and then a final report after the election Dec. 31.

Per state law, a candidate must be a registered voter and resident in the ward he wants to represent. A citywide position requires the candidate live in the city and be a registered voter in the city.

No fees are associated with running for local office.

Brenda Boudreaux served on the City Council from 2001 to 2011 representing south Fayetteville and said filling out the paperwork was time-consuming, but not daunting. However, candidates shouldn't wait until the last minute, she said.

Filing for office is just the first step. Then there's campaigning, and once elected, the real work begins, Boudreaux said.

"It is a lot of work if you're going to do it right," she said. "You have to be responsive to people and your constituents, and you have to go to a lot of meetings."

Of the four major cities in Northwest Arkansas, only Bentonville has a mayoral position up for grabs. Mayor Bob McCaslin isn't running for re-election.

All eight Bentonville City Council positions will be on the ballot in November. Half of the City Council seats in Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers will be open for filings.

In Fayetteville, Adella Gray and Justin Tennant, representing Wards 1 and 3, respectively, aren't seeking re-election. Incumbents Mark Kinion of Ward 2 and John La Tour of Ward 4 are, however.

Jim Reed has announced he'll not seek re-election for his Ward 1 seat in Springdale. Mike Overton, Rick Culver and Mike Lawson all will seek to reclaim their spots.

Buddy Wright isn't seeking re-election to his Rogers Ward 1 seat. Gary Townzen, Clay Kendall and Barney Hayes confirmed their intentions to run for re-election.

City attorney positions will be on the ballot for all four cities. Only Bentonville's city clerk position will be on the ballot.

City clerks in the four cities handle the documents differently. Fayetteville has a packet available to pick up with all the necessary paperwork. However, everything but the statement of financial interest must be turned in to the Washington County Clerk's Office.

Springdale's city clerk will give out and accept all the documents. Because the city spans both counties, Springdale City Clerk Denise Pearce said she'll run the papers to both county courthouses for a candidate if he wants. Pearce asks they be turned in by noon Aug. 16, a day before deadline, in that instance.

"We have always worked really close with the county clerks offices, and we've always helped as much as we can," Pearce said.

Rogers candidates can pick up the paperwork at the city clerk's office. Bentonville candidates need to go to the County Clerk's Office.

Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse, a past president of the Arkansas Municipal League, said anyone who wants to run for municipal office should do so because he genuinely wants to serve the residents of the city. Candidates who seek election over one issue or grievance usually find there's a lot more to the job if elected, he said.

Running for office goes beyond gaining name recognition, Sprouse said.

"It's always good to have more people involved -- people to step up who are willing to serve," he said. "If they're coming from the right place with the right motivation, that's the biggest thing for me."

The league welcomes anyone thinking about running for local office to contact the organization, said Whitnee Bullerwell, communications director. A guidebook is published on the league's website, arml.org.

"Public service is certainly a commitment. As an organization, we are committed to furthering the cities and towns of Arkansas," she said. "We're happy to work with them. We have a membership that is second to none. Our city officials in Arkansas go above and beyond. We're proud to serve them."

NW News on 07/22/2018