Linda Lloyd's unique combination of education and experience is what will make her a good leader of the city, she said.
Lloyd has announced her candidacy for mayor of Bella Vista after thinking about it for the last two years.
"I felt that this position needs somebody with municipal, business, nonprofit and marketing experience. I felt my background and interests aligned closely with what the position needs," she said.
Lloyd, 63, came to Bella Vista in January 2011 after moving from Amarillo, Texas, where she worked in eco-village development. Friends lived in Bella Vista, and when she visited, she decided to buy a house and relocate.
Lloyd holds a master's degree in regional planning and a bachelor's degree in urban studies. She has worked for 41 years as a Realtor, and owns Acorn Realty in Bella Vista.
She ran an appraisal company for 20 years and owned a real estate school where she taught classes. She served on a planning commission in Pennsylvania and was executive director of Mad River Valley planning district in Vermont, where she was responsible for planning efforts in three towns, she said.
She was also executive director of a neighborhood nonprofit housing development corporation in Pennsylvania, which bought vacant houses, designed renovation plans, contracted the labor and then sold the homes at cost.
"We worked ourselves out of a job," she said, as the program worked like it was designed.
She said the next mayor should be someone who has not been a part of the Bella Vista Village Property Owners Association Board of Directors in the past.
Her combination of experience qualifies her for the position, she said.
"At the planning district I wrote grants for everything from sewer systems to trails," she said.
She also said that being able to listen is a big qualification.
"I've only been campaigning for four days and what I'm hearing is people feel they've not been listened to," she said July 15, adding she would promote an open-door policy in the city.
She credits her ability to think out of the box and her innovation with making her the best choice for mayor.
"Doing things the same old way will get you the same old results," she said.
Lloyd said the biggest concern facing the city in the near future is the lack of cooperation among the city, the POA and the village's developer, Cooper Communities, and an action plan needs to be established allowing the three entities time on a regular basis to sit down together and "plot our way forward."
As an example, she cited a recent meeting between the POA Board and the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce and previous separate talks between the chamber and the City Council. She said everyone should sit down at the same table rather than duplicating efforts.
The question of balancing needs and expenditures is another issue the city must face, Lloyd said. Raising taxes to cover expenses of proper road maintenance, for example, is a non-starter, she said. The city will have to do something "outside the box" to find solutions.
"I've heard a lot of people talk about getting more business in Bella Vista, yet we have a lot of vacant commercial space. I'd like to find out what that disconnect is," she said. "As far as business, I don't want to have Bella Vista lose its special identity and have it look just like Rogers or Bentonville."
The city's friendly people serve as an asset, as does the natural beauty. The people are the heart of the city, she said, and make it a good place to live. The amenities, lakes, trees and topography add to that.
"With a location close to regional things like Crystal Bridges, it's a great place to be," she said.
General News on 07/23/2014