Holly Hertzberg / Courtesy photo
Local occupational therapist Holly Hertzberg will replace Kyle Smith on the Fayetteville City Council in Ward 4 beginning next year.
Hertzberg received 4,846 votes (51%), according to the final, unofficial results. She was one of three candidates to challenge Kyle Smith, who received 3,013 votes (32%) in the general election. Two other people – Paul Waddell (10%) and Adam Fire Cat (8%) – also saw their campaigns end on Tuesday.
In Arkansas, a person can secure an outright win without a run-off when there are more than two candidates as long as they win over 50% of the votes or if they receive more than 40% and are ahead of the runner-up by 20%.
Before the vote, Hertzberg said she’d recently become passionate about supporting the Fayetteville Police Department and said the council made a mistake when voting to deny grant funds for two new school resource officers for Fayetteville Public Schools.
Ward 4 Results
The final, unofficial results were:
Holly Hertzberg – 4,846 votes (51%)
Kyle Smith – 3,013 votes (32%)
Paul Waddell – 933 (10%)
Adam Fire Cat – 764 (8%)
Ward 4 Candidates
The following candidates ran for election in Ward 4 this year. All candidates were sent a request for more information about their candidacy. Responses were posted in the order they were received.
» Adam Fire Cat
» Holly Hertzberg
» Paul Waddell
» Kyle Smith
Having someone with a healthcare background will improve the council, she said.
“We must keep people safe during COVID-19, and better our parks for children with disabilities,” Hertzberg said.
Smith was appointed to the council in 2017 to fill a vacant seat left by Alan Long.
He has since been present for all 78 meetings during his time as a council member.
Paul Waddell is a local attorney who said he wanted to fight for further preservation of Markham Hill.
Cat is a restaurant host and busser who ran unsuccessful campaigns for City Council in 2018, 2012 and 2010. He also ran for mayor in 2008.
The candidates in Ward 4 filed reports for over $30,000 in donations, which is quadruple the amount of money raised in Ward 4 in the 2018 election.
Hertzberg raised the most money, reporting $14,870 with 22 donors giving more than $50. Smith raised the second-most money at $13,822, and Waddell raised the third-most at $1,925. Cat did not file a report because he didn’t raise or spend at least $500.
Ward 4 contains a large portion of west Fayetteville, including Razorback Stadium, Holt Middle School, Holcomb Elementary School, and the Boys & Girls Club of Fayetteville.
City Council members are paid $12,504 per year.
