Flyer Guide: How to become a Fayetteville City Council member in 2010

Want to become a Fayetteville City Council member? Not sure how to go about it? We’ve got you covered.

If you follow these instructions and convince enough folks to vote for you, there will be a plaque with your name on it in the council chambers in a few months.

After that, though, you’re on your own. Don’t blame us if you upset a boatload of people after casting the tie-breaking vote to deny a resolution that an entire ward was in favor of leading to the creation of an anonymous blog specifically designed to discredit you, push you out of office, and/or ruin your personal life.

In other words, this is Fayetteville. You do know what you’re getting into, right?

What’s available?

There are two positions in each of the four wards. Every two years, one of those positions becomes available. Whoever holds that seat can decide to step down or run for re-election. It’s as simple as that.

Who would you be running against?

You’ll be up against anyone who files in your ward between now and Aug. 24. Here are the current council members and where they stand on re-election (unless they change their minds):

Ward 1, Position 1: Adella Gray said she will seek re-election.
Ward 2, Position 1: Kyle Cook said he will not file.
Ward 3, Position 1: Robert Rhoads said he will seek re-election.
Ward 4, Position 1: Shirley Lucas said she will not file.

2010 filing and election dates

First day to file: Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010
Last chance to file: 12 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010

General election day: Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010
Runoff election day (if necessary): Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010

Where to start

Start by calling Sondra Smith at 479-575-8323. She’s the city clerk and she’ll be happy to give you the papers you need to fill out as well as some extra information. Her office is on the third floor of City Hall at 113 W. Mountain. Check out our Local540 City Hall listing for a map and a photo of the building.

What you’ll need

After you get your packet from Sondra Smith, it’s time to do some paperwork. Here’s what the packet contains:

1. Nominating petition: You’ll need to gather no less than 30 signatures from local residents who support your nomination and who are registered voters in the State of Arkansas. Besides their signature, you’ll also need to list their printed name, date of birth, city of residence, and the date they signed the petition. And yes, every name is verified.
2. Political practices pledge: This is like an application in that you list your name, address, and phone number. Then you have to sign it to certify that you’ve never been a convicted felon in the State of Arkansas or in any other jurisdiction outside of Arkansas.
3. Affidavit of eligibility: This is a form you sign to make sure you live in the Ward you’re running for. Example: If you live on Dickson Street, you’re in Ward 2 and you can only run in Ward 2. Not sure which ward you live in? Head over to the city’s maps page where you’ll find a link to a wards map.
4. Statement of financial interest: Since Fayetteville residents will be electing you to work for them, they might want to know where your money comes from. The public has a right to know who your employer is and who gives you large monetary gifts so they can decide whether or not they think money might have an influence on your council votes.
5. Campaign contribution and expenditure reports: The public also has a right to know who donated money ($50+) to your campaign and who you spent money with ($100+) during the campaigning process. If you raise more than $500 total, you have to report it before the election. If you raise less than $500, you have to report it afterwards. Either way, you have to tell the public who helped you get elected (if they gave you $50 or more).

What’s next?

This one’s up to you. You could sit around and cross your fingers or you could plan and carry out a campaign that educates voters on why they should a) vote at all, and b) vote for you. At the very least, put together a friggin’ website of some sort. It’s 2010.

What if you’re elected?

We’ve never been in this position, so if you want to know exactly what to expect, you should ask one of the current council members. We do, however, know what meetings you’ll be expected to attend.

Do you have to show up for all of this stuff? No. Will you look like a jackass if you skip a lot of it? Absolutely. Has anyone had perfect attendance? Almost. Lioneld Jordan was a council member before becoming mayor. He went eight years without missing a single council meeting and missed only one of about 192 agenda sessions. Good luck topping that.

Council meetings: There are two council meetings per month and they’re held at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays in room 219 of City Hall.

Agenda sessions: There are two agenda sessions per month and they’re held at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in room 326 of City Hall.

Committee meetings: The mayor will appoint you to serve on two of the following city council committees if elected: Street Committee, Water & Sewer Committee, Nominating Committee, Ordinance Review Committee, Equipment Committee. Each committee meets once per month and is made up of one council member from each of the four wards. Here’s more on that.

Some council members hold ward meetings from time to time. Others don’t. Some council members are visibly active in the community. Some aren’t. The job is what you make of it, but still, it’s a job so don’t take it lightly.

You’ll get paid a little bit of money, you’ll get internet famous, but best of all, you’ll have a chance to be one out of eight voters in some of the most important decisions that this city faces throughout the year.

Don’t screw it up.