BENTONVILLE -- Political newcomer Brian Lyew is seeking to unseat incumbent Jon Terlouw for the City Council Ward 4, Position 2 seat.
Lyew said his top priority if elected would be understanding residents' needs to effectively represent them by increasing community engagement.
Brian Lyew
Age: 29
Residency: Bentonville, one year
Employment: Data analytics manager
Education: Law degree from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.; master’s degree in business analytics from Virginia Tech University
Political experience: None
John Terlouw
Age: 55
Residency: Bentonville, 25 years
Employment: Central operations at Walmart
Education: Attended Truman State University, formerly Northeast Missouri State University, Kirksville, Mo., and Iowa State University
Political experience: Appointed to fill a vacant City Council seat in February
Lyew, 29, is a data analytics manager.
Terlouw said his top priority if re-elected would be to ensure city departments are adequately staffed to keep up with growth. There is more area for police to patrol, for the Fire Department to cover and more buildings and hydrants that need inspection, he said. The Planning Department vets more developments, which require infrastructure work to be done by the Street, Water and Electric departments, he added.
Terlouw, 55, works in central operations at Walmart.
Both candidates said the city needs to have its own animal shelter and it would be best paid for through private-public partnerships.
They disagree on whether developer incentives should be used to address affordable housing.
"The start would be to make sure our affordable housing plans also address or include fair housing strategies to help Bentonville senior citizens," Lyew said. "I think [incentives] could be part of a multifaceted solution."
Terlouw said he would not support developer incentives though he would love to see more people who work downtown be able to live downtown.
"We live in a market-driven society, and I would not want to spend taxpayer money to try and adjust where the market is currently or where it is going," he said. "People will decide how much they are willing to pay to live in a certain area, and that decision will drive the market."
Terlouw would uphold the Bentonville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board decision to recommend dam removal and stream restoration as the solution to Lake Bella Vista, he said.
Lyew said the urgency of the matter is important to consider, and if there is no rush, the council should "yield to the desires of the citizens we work to represent."
Ward 4 will encompass the city east of Southwest I Street and south of East Central Avenue. The council in 2017 adopted new ward boundaries that will go into effect Jan. 1.
City Council members serve two-year terms and are paid $711 a month.
The nonpartisan election will be held Nov. 6. Early voting begins Monday.
NW News on 10/21/2018