Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
TWO FAYETTEVILLE
council races head to runoffs,
FAYETTEVILLE — One incumbent and one new face will serve on the City Council, with two more seats heading to a runoff.
Four seats were up for grabs. Sonia Gutierrez and Olivia Trimble will go to a runoff in Ward 1. Mark Kinion reclaimed his Ward 2 seat. Sloan Scroggin won narrowly to represent Ward 3. Teresa Turk and John La Tour will go to a runoff to secure the Ward 4 position.
A candidate in a municipal election with more than two challengers can win outright with a majority, which is 50 percent plus one vote. Or, a candidate can win with 40 percent of the vote if he is ahead of the second-closest candidate by 20 percent. Otherwise, a runoff between the top two vote-getters will be Dec. 4.
City Council members earn $12,504 annually for their time and serve four-year terms.
WARD 1, POSITION 1
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Gutierrez. . . . . . . . 2,303 (41%) Trimble . . . . . . . . .2,220 (39%) Paxton . . . . . . . . . . 1,132 (20%)
Sonia Gutierrez and Olivia Trimble topped the vote count Tuesday for Ward 1 and will face each other in a runoff election. Kris Paxton came in third. The winner will replace Council Member Adella Gray, who did not seek re-election.
Gutierrez, 44, is a graphic designer and founder of New Design School on the downtown square.
Trimble, 32, is a sign painter and community organizer who has created a number murals across Northwest Arkansas
Ward 1 covers most of the southern half of the city, including 15th Street, South School Avenue, Huntsville Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Notable landmarks include Walker Park, Lake Sequoyah, Kessler Mountain Regional Park, Fayetteville High School and Ramay Junior High.
WARD 2, POSITION 1
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Kinion . . . . . . . . . . 3,379 (71%) Burks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 821 (17%) Bemberg . . . . . . . . . . 540 (11%)
Mark Kinion, 61, defeated challengers Raymond Burks and Martin Bemberg.
Kinion was first elected to the Ward 2 City Council seat in 2010. He currently serves as vice mayor and chairman of the Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Committee. He has played leading roles in a number of city initiatives, including the civil rights ordinance and Town and Gown Committee.
Kinion touted his experience as a council member and graduate of the University of Arkansas, where he served as president of the student government. He works as a mortgage loan officer with Bank of England NWA and has more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
Ward 2 includes the Dickson Street entertainment area and downtown square. Other notable landmarks include Wilson Park, the historic Washington-Willow neighborhood, Lewis Park, Woodland Junior High and the University of Arkansas campus east of Garland Avenue.
WARD 3, POSITION 1
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Scroggin . . . . . . . . 3,580 (51%) Regnier . . . . . . . . .3,494 (49%)
Sloan Scroggin, 34, is a planning commissioner and mathematics instructor at the University of Arkansas. He defeated his opponent, Lucas Regnier, by an 86-vote margin. Scroggin replaces Council Member Justin Tennant, who did not file for re-election.
Scroggin has served on the Planning Commission since last year. He also is a licensed real estate agent. Scroggin has a background in construction and his family owns and operates Scroggin Custom Homes in Little Rock.
Scroggin acknowledged throughout his campaign the city’s inevitable growth and the need to match it with sensible development. He has advocated for infill development while still maintaining sensitivity for neighborhoods.
Jobs, sidewalk connectivity and public safety also were part of Scroggins’ campaign.
Ward 3 encompasses the northeast part of town. It includes College Avenue north of Township Street, Crossover Road north and southwest of Mission Boulevard, Root School, Butterfield Elementary, Gulley Park and Lake Fayetteville.
WARD 4, POSITION 1
The complete but unofficial vote totals were:
Turk . . . . . . . . . . . .2,909 (45%) La Tour . . . . . . . . . 2,811 (44%) Fire Cat . . . . . . . . . . . 677 (11%)
Teresa Turk and John La Tour got the most votes in the Ward 4 race and will face each other again Dec. 4. Adam Fire Cat came up short.
Turk, 57, is an environmental consultant and serves on the Historic District Commission. She is 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 who was elected to City Council in 2014. He received a law degree from Oak Brook College, a Christian correspondence school. He has often touted a free-market approach to government.
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.