Two file to compete for Bentonville seat

BENTONVILLE — Aubrey Patterson and Michelle Malashock will compete for the open Ward 3, Position 1 City Council seat in a special election in March.

Patterson filed on the filing period’s first day, Dec. 1, and Malashock filed on its last day, Dec. 22, according to the Benton County Clerk’s Office. The special election will be held March 13. The term expires Dec. 31, 2018.

Patterson has volunteered as community service coordinator for the Salvation Army in Bentonville since September 2016. She also teaches yoga classes for the city’s Parks and Recreations Department on a contract basis; she will have to resign if elected.

Malashock is senior manager of media relations for Wal-Mart. She started working for the retailer in 2010 after working in the newsroom for Northwest Arkansas Newspapers for four years.

Tom Hoehn left the position after accepting a job in Dallas. The City Council opted to hold a special election to fill the seat rather than appoint someone to it.

Ward 3 encompasses the city’s southwest area. It is south of West Central Avenue and Southwest Second Street and west of Southwest A Street, South Walton Boulevard and South Rainbow Road.

Council members in Bentonville represent the ward they reside in, but are elected at-large and serve two-year terms since the city’s population is less than 50,000. Council members in cities with a population more than 50,000 are elected to four-year terms, according to state law.

The special election will cost $3,500 plus $500 for each of the two to three polling sites that will be used, George Spence, city attorney told the council in November.