Smith resigns position

Bentonville council member moving out of state

BENTONVILLE — Residents in Ward 3 who would consider serving on City Council should polish their resumes as James Smith will soon leave the position.

Smith said he submitted his resignation to the mayor and

City Council. Tuesday’s City Council meeting was his last as he as his family will be moving to Pagosa Springs, Colo., in July.

The vacant seat can be filled either by an appointment from council or through a special election. It’s council’s decision, said George Spence, city attorney.

State law mandates the council decide at its next regular meeting after the resignation, he said. Smith’s resignation is effective July 5. The next meeting after that is July 11.

“The reason we have that option is there is more than a year left on the term,” Spence said. “It this were to happen next year, we would not be able to offer a special election.”

The council made appointments for vacant positions in the past. Smith was one of them when he was selected to fill a vacant seat in June 2014.

Those interested in serving submit letters of interest to the city and then are invited to attend the council meeting and make a short presentation about who they are and why they want to serve. A council member can then make a motion to appoint someone, Spence said.

Council members seemed to favor an appointment, but no vote was taken nor required.

Eligible candidates must be a registered voter, live in Ward 3, must be at least 18 years old and have no felony convictions.

Ward 3 is the southwest area of the city. It is bounded by Southwest Second Street and West Central Avenue to the north and Southwest A Street and South Walton Boulevard to the east.

Smith will take a president/CEO position with a community bank in Colorado, and his 13-year-old son will be able to advance his downhill mountain biking skills, Smith said after the meeting.

“His mountain biking passion was born in Bentonville, and now he’s looking to step it up in Colorado,” he said. “It’s very exciting that we’ve yielded someone like that.”

Smith was elected in the fall of 2014 and again in 2016 after his initial appointment in the summer of 2014.

Serving on City Council has been a privilege, Smith said.

“I feel really humbled that the people put their trust in me,” he said.

Smith advocated for several issues including preservation of buildings with historical significance as well as increasing citizen access to local government through a more open public comment period at council meetings.

“I would like to express apologies to those that I might have stepped on toes or might have ruffled feathers as I tried to follow the path of the right thing to do for the citizens of Bentonville,” he said.

He also championed cycling infrastructure and public art.

“I appreciate your service. You’ve done a remarkable job,” Ward 3 Alderman Bill Burckart told Smith in the meeting. “You’ll be missed.”

Smith