Finkenbinder will be city attorney

The Conway City Council on Tuesday unanimously appointed Deputy City Attorney Charles Finkenbinder to fill the interim elected city attorney spot that will be vacated once City Attorney Chuck Clawson takes the bench next year in the Faulkner County Circuit Court.

Clawson told council members that it will take several months of working side-by-side with his replacement to maintain the level of knowledge and service from Clawson’s last 6½ years in the office.

After deliberating in executive session for nearly half an hour, the council unanimously voted to appoint Finkenbinder until the position is up for grabs again in the November 2022 general election. At that point, Finkenbinder can run for election if he chooses.

Clawson became Conway’s deputy city attorney in 2013 for then-City Attorney Mike Murphy, who is now on the Court of Appeals. Clawson was appointed city attorney by the City Council in 2014 to complete Murphy’s term.

In late 2014, Clawson was elected to the position.

In March, Clawson was elected 3rd Division circuit judge in the 20th Judicial District, comprising Faulkner, Van Buren and Searcy counties. He replaces his father, Ed Clawson, who retired.

The Conway city attorney provides legal advice and representation to the mayor and the city and also prosecutes misdemeanors and ordinance violations within the city limits.

Finkenbinder, a former defense attorney, earned his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has served in numerous legal positions around the state including as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Craighead County.