On the City Council

Voters in Bentonville, Rogers have decisions to make

On this, our final day of Northwest Arkansas endorsements for the 2016 General Election, we offer our thoughts on the contested city council races in Bentonville and Rogers.

Early voting started Monday and will continue until Nov. 7. The General Election is on Nov. 8.

BENTONVILLE

Five sitting aldermen — Tim Robinson, Chris W. Sooter, James L. Smith, W.P. “Bill” Burckart and Octavio Sanchez — face no challengers to retain their seats on the City Council, but voters throughout the city have decisions to make in three races. Bentonville, for now, remains a city in which voters citywide cast ballots for all aldermen even though the aldermen represent wards within the city.

Ward 1, Position 1

Stephanie Orman is close to finishing up one term on the Bentonville City Council and faces a challenge from a newcomer from Minneapolis in the form of Kristen Dunavant. We recommend voters give Orman an opportunity to serve in a second term.

Orman is a University of Arkansas graduate who has lived in Bentonville about 13 years. In her first term, she’s been a thorough and engaged alderman. She said she wants to continue as part of the collaboration happening in Bentonville these days, maintaining a focus on infrastructure that improves quality of life and public safety.

Dunavant said she wanted to bring to Bentonville ideas from the many urban environments the people moving to the city miss from their home communities. Having moved to Bentonville slightly more than a year ago, Dunavant said she was encouraged to run by former alderman Leah Williams and Fayetteville’s state Rep. Greg Leding.

Orman’s time in Bentonville, we suggest, gives her a better sense of the community but also an openness to the changes happening within the city.

Ward 1, Position 2

Incumbent John A. Skaggs, a longtime municipal judge retired since 2012, faces a challenger in Chad Goss, a retail consultant making his first run for public office.

Skaggs, in our view, is a wise, experienced member of the City Council who demonstrates a solid analytical mind when evaluating the challenges and opportunities facing Bentonville. He’s always prepared and offers a calm, evenhanded demeanor that helps in navigating changing times. We recommend voters keep him around, as they have many times before in his other positions.

Ward 4, Position 2

Jim Webb took office two years ago after beating an incumbent in a three-candidate race that included Anthony Ciabattari, who this year is Webb’s sole challenger for the post. Ciabattari declined an invitation to speak with our editorial board, but in the race two years ago, he touted conservative creativity and a desire to be an alderman who is approachable.

We’ll recommend voters stick with Webb, who says he wants to maintain a push for alternative transportation options, development of an entertainment district, business development and better shopping in Bentonville.

ROGERS

Aldermen Mark Kruger, Marge Wolf and Betsy Reithemeyer will be elected Nov. 8 to serve the next four-year term on the City Council as none of them face opponents. Voters in Ward 3 have a choice from among three candidates to fill the position that’s up for election this year.

Ward 3, Position 2

Andrew Hatfield, who currently holds this City Council post, will become the city attorney next year, opening this four-year post to a trio of contenders from the community. The contest gives voters a choice between Jerry Carmichael, Keith Rogers and Daniel Kolman.

All three men could be good aldermen. Rogers is a former law enforcement officer and police chief who moved to Bentonville in 2011 as an investigator for Wal-Mart. Kolman sells retail packaging solutions to suppliers of Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club and has been active in Rogers’ youth baseball. Voters may be most familiar with Carmichael, who served 16 years — including president for several years — on the Rogers School Board before stepping down in 2015.

Carmichael, an investment banker, sees serving on the City Council as an important next step in his desire to serve the community, and we believe he can make real contributions. We recommend him to voters for his financial expertise and drive for Rogers to keep its focus in developing business and pursue consistency in the administration of ordinances.