As Arkansas Municipal League president, Joe Smith doesn't want to change the world. Just young people and the cities where they live.
On Friday, the North Little Rock mayor gave his first address to the league since becoming president at the organization's annual conference at the Statehouse Convention Center. Founded in 1934, the league is the official representative of Arkansas cities and towns before state and federal government entities, and often acts as a discussion forum for city leaders.
After thanking his wife, Missie, and joking about his love of Shania Twain, Smith asked any elected official in the audience to stand. Smith, who is 66, then asked anyone 60 or older to sit down, then anyone 45 or older, then anyone 35 or older.
At the third request, only one man in an audience of hundreds was still standing: Edmond Shelton, a 27-year-old council member from Dermott. He's planning to run for mayor of his city, he said.
Smith said it's the league's moral and civic responsibility to ensure the next generation of community leaders can navigate the inroads of politics and policy.
"As you can see, you know, we're not doing a very good job of that. We're not bringing this younger generation along," Smith said. "One reason is, we're just a little bit lazy."
By this time next year, Smith said he hopes to see 10 or 20 people who are younger than 30 at the conference. Variance in age brings "a diversity of ideas," he said. If cities continue to do things like they've always been done, Smith said, "You're going to start backing up."
"I've got people on our parks commission who've been there 25 years. Why? Because it's easy to reappoint them," he said.
Smith pointed to a recently passed North Little Rock resolution as an example. The June resolution says the City Council will provide young people who are interested with the "foundational knowledge on the key principles and issues within the current North Little Rock political system." They will do so "regardless of political ideology," the resolution says.
Also, according to the resolution, council members will "make every effort" to submit five potential appointees to North Little Rock boards and commissions while "recognizing the value of diverse perspectives provided by our younger generation."
Before Smith's address, former league President Doug Sprouse, mayor of Springdale, told attendees that presidents will do things differently, and that's OK.
"Cities change over time, obviously," he said. "Our organizations change over time."
"God is placing Joe in exactly the right position for what this organization needs as a president," he added.
An issue the league has pushed, unsuccessfully so far, is enacting legislation to collect sales taxes on online purchases. At the beginning of 2018, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he wouldn't call a special legislative session on the issue, although a case is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court that could decide the issue.
And in March, the league and the Association of Arkansas Counties filed a joint lawsuit targeting pharmaceutical manufacturers that, the litigation claims, pump pills into Arkansas at unprecedented rates. The groups heralded the lawsuit as unique and unified.
"It's about the money, in a sense, because we're using precious taxpayer funds to deal with issues and draw resources from areas we shouldn't have to," Sprouse said. "But it certainly is [about] more than the money. It's about being able to help people get their lives straight."
As president, Smith said he will shepherd the league's existing projects and spearhead new ones where he sees fit.
"I don't intend on changing the world," Smith said. But he does intend to ask, "Who's going to take over, next?"
Metro on 06/16/2018