Candidates eye growth of city

SPRINGDALE — Tyler Smalling is challenging incumbent Jeff Watson for the Ward 3, Position 2 seat on the City Council.

The ward covers the southwest part of the city.

The council position is nonpartisan. Council members meet twice a month and earn $900 monthly regardless of attendance.

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette emailed the same questions to the candidates. Their complete responses are below. Candidates were limited to 200 words per answer.

QUESTION: Many have called lately for Springdale to become more inclusive of its many diverse communities. Do you agree with the goal? If not, why? If yes, how should the city accomplish it?

Smalling: I love this idea and goal of becoming more inclusive of the diverse communities here in Springdale. I believe, in order to get this done, we need to bring the right people into the room and start putting ideas and goals together so we can accomplish this as a team. We cannot do this alone. We need the support from those communities, and I would love to help get this rolling. The diversity of Springdale’s citizens is what makes it such a great city to live in, and I consider it one of our strengths.

Watson: The City of Springdale should always continue to strive to be more inclusive of diverse communities. The city should encourage and support the many minority-owned and -operated business, as well as promoting culturally diverse activities and events. We need to encourage diverse communities to be more active in local politics and seek to appoint minorities to city positions.

QUESTION: As the city grows and land prices escalate, more developers are proposing multifamily housing projects. Do you support the growth in this type of housing? Why or why not?

Watson: It is important to our city that all of our residents have stable and affordable housing. I support coordinated development of multifamily housing projects to improve quality of life. The city should continue to work with developers to build a wide range of housing opportunities.

Smalling: I support this to an extent. I believe there needs to be a wide variety of housing available for everybody in and around Springdale. I don’t think we should focus exclusively on multifamily housing because there is a need for entry-level single family housing as well. As a city, we have to work with developers and builders to make sure we are providing the best housing to support all of our citizens across the entire city.

QUESTION: What is the most important challenge facing Springdale right now? How would you tackle it?

Smalling: I believe that one of the most important challenges facing Springdale is economic development and infrastructure. As I drive around, I see some great things going on — such as large buildings and businesses going up on the west side of town. As a city, we have to continue pushing for businesses to find a home in Springdale, but in return, we have to make sure we have the housing to accommodate them and the roads/infrastructure are able to handle all the continued growth.

Watson: The most important challenge facing the City of Springdale is to continue to move forward with our managed growth. We must continue to promote employment opportunities with the larger employers, while continuing to promote growth for small businesses. The quality of life for our city must be addressed as the city grows. We must continue to build and maintain our parks and trails. The encouragement of mixed-use developments will benefit the downtown area.