Pastor wants to serve on Fayetteville council

FAYETTEVILLE — A Presbyterian pastor, owner of a development firm and current planning commissioner said she wants to continue serving her community by being elected to the vacant Ward 2 City Council seat.

Leslie Belden, 65, said she plans to run for the open council spot left by Matthew Petty. Petty cited work demands as his reason for resigning last month.

Ward 2 covers downtown and most of the University of Arkansas campus.

Belden was pastor at First United Presbyterian Church for more than a decade and has lived in the city with her family since 1995. She is an owner and partner with Old Buildings LLC, a local real estate development company specializing in historical remodeling and urban revitalization. She has served on the Planning Commission since 2016.

Belden said she had planned to run for City Council after her term on the Planning Commission ends next year but wanted to take advantage of the open seat. She has volunteered for numerous organizations and said she wants to keep serving the city.

“I want to spend my time and energy continuing to make Fayetteville the very best place in the whole state to live,” Belden said.

She has a background in public policy planning and architecture and said she wants to help stave off skyrocketing housing prices in the city if elected. Putting homes on smaller pieces of land in parts of town that already have amenities and services will help cut down on the cost of living, she said.

Council members earn $1,042 per month and serve four-year terms. The positions are nonpartisan.

The special election is Feb. 8. The winner will serve the remainder of the term through Dec. 31, 2024.

Belden