New mayors to lead small towns

The new year will bring new leaders to some Northwest Arkansas towns.

Newly elected mayors include Chris Moore in Lowell, Charles Dwyer in Winslow and Doug Hutchens in Lincoln.

LOWELL

Moore received 54 percent of the vote in Lowell to unseat Mayor Eldon Long. Long has served two, fouryear terms as mayor.

“It is my hope and great expectation that the new administration will continue to support the many wonderful projects and amenities planned for the Kathleen Johnson Memorial Park,” Long said.

The city has plans to add trails, parking spaces and restrooms to the park, and two nonprofit organizations are expected to move there.

Kathleen and Leonard Johnson in 2013 donated 100 acres west of Exit 78 off Interstate 49 so the city could develop a park. Lowell received two grants — one for $302,000 and one for $485,000 — from the Arkansas Department of Transportation and a $90,000 grant from Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission for the project. The Walton Family Foundation contributed $650,126, and the Leonard Johnson Revocable Trust contributed $600,000.

The Lowell Historical Museum and two nonprofit organizations, Project Red Friday and NWA Space, also plan to move to the park.

Katherine Auld of NWA Space said the organization plans to begin construction in about a year and a half on a science center intended to teach people about space and to interest teenagers and

young adults in science careers.

Project Red Friday hosts several events throughout the year to support veterans, said Mike Whitehead of the nonprofit group. The organization has a school program where students make care packages and write letters to soldiers, who are encouraged to write back.

Moore said he wants to continue the projects. He also wants to repeal the recently implemented Advertising and Promotion tax, an additional 2 percent tax on prepared food and lodging. The City Council would have to vote to repeal the tax. He also said he wants to encourage retail and commercial growth in the city to keep up with the residential growth Lowell is experiencing.

“We need to look at our incentives and see what we can offer,” he said.

Moore owns businesses in the area including Fast Lane Entertainment, Foster’s Pint & Plate and Spiritueux Wine & Liquor. He moved to Lowell from Bentonville in April.

Moore has not held public office before and said there will be a learning curve when it comes to working with the City Council.

He also wants to invest in infrastructure, such as roads and sewer, to keep up with the growing population.

Lowell had an estimated population of 9,215 in 2017, up from 7,044 in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is about a 30 percent increase.

WINSLOW

Dwyer, 56, will be Winslow’s new mayor after receiving 78 percent of the vote, beating out candidate Jerry Kidder.

Mayor Randy Jarnagan didn’t seek re-election.

Dwyer works as the Data Center facilities manager at the University of Arkansas. He has lived in Winslow on and off since 1971 and consecutively for the last 20 years, he said.

He has served as a City Council member for the past four years and said he decided to run for mayor because Jarnagan was retiring. Dwyer also served on the Greenland School Board for two years in the mid-2000s.

He said he wants to focus on improving the city’s infrastructure, noting its 80 miles of water pipes are aging. Dwyer said city officials may discuss asking for a 1-percent city sales tax to help pay for infrastructure improvements.

LINCOLN

Hutchens, 47, will be Lincoln’s new mayor after winning 57 percent of the vote, compared to candidate Jason Davis’ 21 percent and Chris Porter’s 22 percent. Hutchens did not return phone and Facebook messages.

Mayor Rob Hulse didn’t seek re-election.

Hutchens previously said he has lived in Lincoln for 37 years and is the owner and manager of R&R Truck & Trailer Inc. He has served on the City Council for more than 12 years and has been a member of the Planning Commission for eight years.

Residents voted against a 0.75-percent sales tax, and Hutchens said after the election he was disappointed with those results.

“We’re getting ready to start the budget for 2019 and will have to see what we’ll be able to do without those funds,” he earlier said. Hutchens said he would like to be able to hire at least one more police officer next year, but said city staff will have to look at different items in the budget to determine whether funds can be rearranged.