Board taps ex-director for vacant position
The Hot Springs Board of Directors unanimously nominated Karen Garcia to fill the vacant District 5 position Tuesday night, giving the board a full complement of directors for the first time since March.
Garcia was sworn in Wednesday morning, reassuming the post she held from 2011 to 2014 before opting not to run for a second term. The board selected Garcia over former Justice of the Peace George Pritchett, a plaintiff in two lawsuits filed against the city’s 2016 annexation of property between the corporate limits and Lake Hamilton.
Garcia will serve the remainder of Rick Ramick’s term, which runs through the end of next year, and will be eligible to run for
the 2019-2022 term. Ramick resigned last month after questions were raised about his residency qualification.
Garcia is a certified-public accountant who retired from Weyerhaeuser in 2014 after more than 30 years with the company. She said she has lived in Hot Springs since 1983 and is currently doing part-time accounting work and helping nonprofits organize their finances and write grants. Garcia is also a member of the city’s airport advisory committee.
Garcia said District 5 residents encouraged her to seek the nomination. She defeated Glenn Gallas and Ramick for the District 5 seat in 2010. In 2014, she was the Democratic nominee for state treasurer.
“I had a lot of urging from the residents in District 5,” she said. “I still have a desire to serve Hot Springs. I have the experience and the support of residents in District 5, and I have the skills to help make Hot Springs a better community.”
Garcia has served with all of the current board members except District 4 Director Larry Williams, who was elected in 2014. District 3 Director Becca Clark said Garcia’s work ethic, accounting background and pleasant demeanor recommended her.
“She was an excellent board member, and I know she will be again,” Clark said. “She really knows numbers and budgets and works very hard. She does a great job representing her constituents, and she’s a nice person.”
Garcia said public safety, establishing a long-term water supply and economic development are her top priorities. She said the latter is partially a function of improving the city’s broadband internet capacity.
“Broadband is an important issue for the entire county with so many jobs done online now,” she said. “We need broadband for businesses to thrive and to make Hot Springs a choice destination for families that want to live and do business here.
“It’s huge for the future growth of small businesses.”