Riley to challenge Acree for Bentonville seat

BENTONVILLE — Incumbent Cindy Acree and Philip Riley are on the ballot for the Ward 2, Position 1 seat on the City Council.

Ward 2 covers northwest Bentonville.

Position 1 is a two-year term. Council members are paid $808 per month, according to the city website. The City Council is made up of eight members, two in each ward. City Council members are elected at-large, but represent wards.

The nonpartisan election is Nov. 3. Early voting starts Oct. 19. A voter may request an absentee ballot application by contacting the county clerk in the county where the voter is registered, according to the Arkansas Secretary of State website. Voters may download the application from the county websites.

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette emailed the same questions to the candidates. Their responses are below. Candidates were limited to 200 words per answer. Question: If you were in charge of the Parks Department, would you encourage more recreation development or green space development? Explain.

Acree: We need adequate recreation opportunities to meet the needs of our population. Our bike trails are a great asset to Northwest Arkansas, and we have done a good job adding new venues for pickle ball and other sports.

I would invest more in open space and establish a tree canopy ordinance that will reduce summer peak temperatures, air pollution, enhancing property values, provide wildlife habitat, providing aesthetic benefits and improving social ties among neighbors.

Riley: The terms have so much overlap. I would encourage continued development of both. Bentonville seems to be doing quite well with the greenway, the community center, Coler and Slaughter Pen mountain bike trails and upcoming projects like the 8th Street Gateway and 28th Street parks amongst others.

These attractions help our businesses recruit young talent and families to our area. They also bring new businesses, like our strong bicycle economy. I also appreciate the coexistence of art in our green spaces.

Question: What does Bentonville need to do to become a more inclusive city?

Riley: Tying this into the previous question … taking down the Confederate monument was a big step in the correct direction toward more inclusivity.

I see and applaud Walmart leadership in their recent announcements and support for racial equity. Our local government should follow their lead. We should codify inclusivity into our laws.

The Fayetteville Uniform Civil Rights Ordinance was brought to my attention recently. It defines protected classes of citizens and created a commission of citizens to hear discrimination complaints.

The ordinance also outlines fines that the city would levy against those found guilty of discrimination by their peers. That would be a great start.

Acree: We continue to provide community events that preserve the hometown feel with gathering places like First Friday.

We also must address transit so the elderly and disabled can easily navigate the city and visitors can participate easily with our small businesses.

A free shuttle service of some sort that promotes outlying parking and improved bus routes to connect employers, shopping and health services will make our city more inclusive.

I will support an economic development office in the city government to help gather market data and recruit small businesses and link them to resources that provide a more rounded opportunity for all socioeconomic groups to meet their shopping and entertainment needs.

Question: What makes you the best candidate for this position?

Acree: An experienced third generation Bentonville resident with backgrounds in business and public policy and understanding our town’s history transitioning from an agricultural community to a growing city makes me the best candidate.

Experience in managing large urban city growth enables me to apply best practices for development and community engagement. My work with large municipal and state budgets and audits will protect taxpayer money.

Preserving a culture of the small-town feel with amenities of a large city requires protecting landowner rights, supporting small businesses, strong public safety and improved infrastructure while comingling trees and green space and areas of single family and multifamily housing.

My record of coalition building, addressing citizens’ concerns, planning experience based on citizens input can direct efforts and resources toward a clearly defined vision for the future. My commitment to preserving history and balancing growth with adequate infrastructure is proven. My background in operations of small and large businesses and governments can help the city address internal issues that will make it serve the citizens better.

Many solutions to problems lie in internal operations. City government is a service organization. Dealings with the city should be fair, easy, accessible, equitable and transparent.

Riley: I am running for City Council because I think a physician’s input for government decisions during a pandemic makes sense. I plan to use my knowledge of medicine and public health to help guide businesses who request assistance toward the best balance of commerce and safety during the pandemic.

I also think we can provide a framework of support through public policy for improving our health infrastructure in Northwest Arkansas in a number of ways; attracting more specialists, vision for biomedical research and eventually expand medical resident training.

I would like to introduce renewable energy policy changes that would make solar energy more affordable for our residents. I would like to gather support in our city to pledge ourselves toward 100% renewable energy in the next 10 years. Fayetteville has already made this pledge.

I would also like to review and improve our recycling and landfill policies. Other than this, I’m just be happy to help the city I love.