Springdale city attorney files for re-election

SPRINGDALE — City attorney Ernest Cate filed for re-election for another fouryear term.

“I love what I do, and I’d like to do it for another four years,” said Cate, a lifelong resident of Springdale.

Cate, 55, was appointed to the position in January 2013 to serve the remainder of a two-year term when Jeff Harper was elected to district judge. Cate ran unopposed for the seat in the 2014 election. Cate was appointed to a two-year term as district judge in January 2011 to fill the seat when

Judge Stanley Ludwig retired. Cate began work as a deputy city attorney in July 1998.

The city attorney wears two hats: He represents the city’s interests and serves as Springdale district court prosecutor for misdemeanor cases. He and his 10-member staff handled cases with 7,004 defendants in 2017 and helped 13,824 through contact with the office, according to a report Cate made to the City Council in January.

“Never forget we’re public servants,” Cate said he tells his staff regularly. Working a recent case, Cate discovered a woman whose wheelchair was destroyed when a car hit her. Her family didn’t have enough money for a new one. Cate and his staff arranged for the gift of a wheelchair from a local service club.

“The people we’re dealing with in court aren’t criminals,” Cate said. “They’re friends and neighbors and co-workers who might have gotten a speeding ticket or forgotten to renew their tags.”

Cate said residents of other cultures find challenges in accessing community resources. He supports the recently announced efforts of EngageNWA to educate those residents about the workings of the city.

The city attorney earns $108,135 per year. Cate had no announced opponents as of Tuesday afternoon. Filing for municipal offices closes at noon Aug. 17. The nonpartisan election is Nov. 6.

Cate