Fayetteville Ward 4 candidates share viewpoints on decision-making, city's trajectory

Adam Fire Cat, from left, Teresa Turk and John La Tour
Adam Fire Cat, from left, Teresa Turk and John La Tour

FAYETTEVILLE -- The city's growth is inevitable, and City Council members need to make the hard decisions when it comes to development while still working with the community to move forward, Ward 4 candidates said Friday.

The Chamber of Commerce continued hosting a series of candidate forums this week at the Fayetteville Public Library. Ward 4 candidates Adam Fire Cat, Teresa Turk and John La Tour wrapped up the City Council events on Friday. La Tour, the incumbent, has served on the seat since 2014.

Web watch

To watch the full forum online, go to livestream.com/fayl… and look under past events.

Ward 4 covers most of the city west of Interstate 49 and parts of the University of Arkansas campus south of Wedington Drive. Notable landmarks include the University Heights neighborhood, Pratt Place Inn, Bryce Davis Park, Holcomb Elementary School, Owl Creek School, Asbell Elementary School and the Boys & Girls Club.

Fire Cat, 43, is a busser at Village Inn and self-described recurring character in city politics. He ran unsuccessful campaigns for mayor in 2008 and Ward 2 council member in 2010 and 2012.

Turk, 57, is an environmental consultant and serves on the Historic District Commission. She's a retired scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and owns several rental properties in Ward 4.

La Tour, 62, is a certified public accountant and conservative Christian who values a free-market approach to government. He earned a degree from Oak Brook College and runs his own practice out of a historic house on Old Mill Road in Johnson.

Fire Cat said he would have the best interests of residents of mind, and would be willing to tell them no if necessary. Turk said inclusivity and preserving the city's charm are on the forefront of her candidacy. La Tour said the city needs to accommodate growth and keep options open for a variety of housing types and residents.

La Tour said the city should prioritize infrastructure such as streets and police and fire protection and do what it can to promote tourism and sales tax growth. The city's land supply is shrinking, and a solution is annexation, he said.

Residents should have the option of urban, mixed-use living or owning a 2-acre plot in a residential district, La Tour said. He said he typically sides with the property owner when it comes to land use issues, and who that person is shouldn't factor into those decisions. La Tour campaigned against the city's civil rights ordinance in 2014.

"Why should human sexuality be part of our public discussion? Let's treat everyone with respect, let's treat everyone fairly," La Tour said. "That's what I want."

Turk said she's against zoning patches of a neighborhood differently from its established form. Property owners buy into a neighborhood when they move in, and the city should do what it can to preserve and respect that character, she said.

Innovation in modes of travel and sustainability will make traveling in the city easier, Turk said. She proposed striving to become greener than Seattle, which is known for its environmental friendliness.

"Green bucks follow green spaces," she said. "Green spaces are very good for the growth and the health and welfare and livability of a city."

Fire Cat said he would ask who an ordinance might hurt before deciding whether to pass it. He said he doesn't support renewing the city's existing one penny bond issue, which is set for a vote next year. Projects can be done as needs arise without a bond renewal, he said, and the city should prioritize needs over wants.

"Part of the job is willing to be hated, willing to be look like the supervillain because you didn't do everything they wanted you to do," Fire Cat said. "You might look look like a terrible guy, and ultimately, I'm willing to be hated. I'm willing to be hated for you."

Council members earn $12,504 annually and serve four-year terms. City Council candidates are not associated with a political party. The election is Nov. 6.

NW News on 09/15/2018

Upcoming Events