Donations spur Agnew campaign

BENTONVILLE — Gayatri Agnew brought in almost 10 times more cash than her leading opponent and spent freely to win a seat on the City Council, according to financial reports.

Agnew defeated Jeff Matkins in the Dec. 1 runoff for the Ward 1, Position 2 seat. Chad Goss, who held the seat, didn’t seek reelection.

Final city campaign finance reports were due Dec. 30 to the Benton County Clerk’s Office. A final report is required

regardless of whether a candidate received contributions or made expenditures in excess of $500, according to the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

Runoff candidates had until Feb. 1 to file, but Agnew and Matkins beat that deadline with their reports.

Agnew received $31,362 in contributions and spent $30,957, according to her report. Many of Agnew’s contributions were between $50 and $100 and came from local residents and people from across the country, filing information shows.

Her preelection report showed $2,800 contributions from Olivia Walton, Tom Walton and Steuart Walton of Bentonville. Tom Walton and Steuart Walton each gave her $1,000 between Nov. 21 and Dec. 1, according to the report.

Matkins had $3,300 in contributions and expenditures of $5,622, according to his report. He also had $2,237 in loans. Tom Walton and Steuart Walton also each gave Matkins $1,000, according to his report.

Others in the Ward 1, Position 2 general election race included Jeff Wadlin and Dylan Shaddox. Elle Jackson dropped out of the race but finished third after her name remained on the ballot.

Wadlin didn’t have any contributions or expenditures. Shaddox had contributions of $7,202 and expenses of $6,399, according to his report.

In the Ward 1, Position 1 race, incumbent Tim Robinson showed $8,120 in contributions and $8,879 in expenditures, according to filing information. He won reelection.

Bonnie Adams, who finished second to Robinson, said she hadn’t filed a final report but said nothing changed from her preelection report showing her with $440 in contributions and $1,812 in expenditures.

Jeremy Wiginton, who finished third, had a loan of $2,740, contributions of $250 and expenditures of $2,990, according to his reports.

In the Ward 2, Position 1 race, incumbent Cindy Acree defeated Philip Riley.

Acree started with $114, received $2,170 in contributions and had expenses of $1,677, according to her reports. She donated a leftover $606 to charity.

Riley’s preelection report showed $41 in expenditures and no contributions.

Bill Burckart, the Ward 3, Position 2 incumbent who won reelection in the general election, reported contributions of $7,235 and expenses of $2,840, according to his report.

Kesha Chiappinelli, who finished second against Burckart, listed one $200 contribution and $2,192 in loans in her preelection report. Her expenses were $2,435 at that point, according to her report.

Bobby Wilson, who also ran for the Ward 3, Position 2 spot, didn’t file a preelection report because he said didn’t spend or take in $500. He also had not submitted a final report to the County Clerk’s Office.

The City Council is made up of eight members, two in each of four wards. City Council members are elected at-large but represent wards. They must live in their ward.

Council members are paid $818 per month. Position 1 is a two-year term, and Position 2 is a four-year term. The city is gradually moving to all fouryear terms.

Agnew