Lincoln council member McDonald not running for reelection

LINCOLN — One City Council member hasn’t attended a meeting in 2020 and only attended four out of 14 meetings in 2019, according to minutes available on the city’s website.

Council member Bobby McDonald has been on the council since January 2003. He represents Ward 3, Position 1.

Last week, McDonald said he plans to finish out his current two-year term through December but isn’t running for reelection.

McDonald said he believes nine terms is enough to serve on the council.

“It’s been an honor to represent the city of Lincoln and it’s time to pass the torch,” McDonald said.

Mayor Doug Hutchens said McDonald hasn’t shared with him why he’s missed so many meetings or given any explanations.

“I’m disappointed he’s not been to any meetings (in 2020),” Hutchens said last week. “I do not know his circumstances or why he’s not come.”

Hutchens said, “Nothing personal, but I wish he would make it to the meetings if he can.”

McDonald ran unopposed in 2010, defeated Kris Roy in 2012, and ran unopposed in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Washington County Clerk Becky Lewellan looked through earlier records and found McDonald also was unopposed when he ran for office from 2002 through 2008.

For McDonald’s current term, minutes show he didn’t attend any of the five meetings so far in 2020 and attended only four of 14 regular or special meetings in 2019. For his last two-year term, McDonald attended eight of 15 regular or special meetings in 2018 and attended eight of 13 regular or special meetings in 2017.

The next meeting for the City Council will be Tuesday.

McDonald said last week he has missed meetings because of his full-time job with Washington County Sheriff’s Office. McDonald is assigned to court security and has been with the sheriff’s office since April 1998, said Kelly Cantrell with the sheriff’s office.

“I work a lot of hours and still work a lot of hours,” McDonald said, adding the covid-19 pandemic also has caused a lot of disruptions.

Along with being elected to City Council, McDonald also serves on the Community Involvement Committee, Personnel Committee and chairs the Police and Fire Committee, according to the city website. Committees don’t keep attendance records or minutes, said Rhonda Hulse, city business manager.

A guidebook for mayors and city council members published by Arkansas Municipal League doesn’t say council members are required to attend meetings.

Responsibilities of city councils and their members include enacting laws and bylaws concerning municipal affairs to promote the health, safety and welfare of the public; adopting annual budgets; setting salaries for municipal officials; setting rates for public utilities; and establishing fees for city services, according to the handbook.

The handbook has a municipal government diagram that shows the mayor, council, city clerk, treasurer and city attorney answer to voters as elected officials. Department heads fall under the authority of the mayor.

Lincoln’s City Council members receive $100 per meeting. They don’t receive pay if they are absent from a meeting, Hulse said.

McDonald