• Background

Christian Henning has lived in Bella Vista since 2008. He's previously lived in Spain and California.

Henning works as a preschool teacher in Bentonville.

Henning said he has attended leadership summits in the state and national capitals and served as commander of the Sons of the American Legion in Bentonville and Rogers.

"I've managed hundreds of thousands of dollars," he said.

He's also attended Boys State, a mock government program in Little Rock put on by the American Legion.

He had a counselor, he said, who became mayor at 18.

"That's actually where I got inspired to run for city council," he said. "I figured if he could do it then I could certainly run for city council at 20."

• On city council

"The biggest thing is getting involved with the community," Henning said. "You can't represent the people if you don't know the people."

Spending time in public, interacting with people and seeing what they want is essential for a council member, he said.

His goals, if elected, are to increase economic development and attract more business. In particular, he said, he'd like to see a hotel and the return of a movie theater.

"Make sure Bella Vista is a city where people of all ages and from all backgrounds are welcome," he said.

• The issues

Henning said he believes infrastructure should be a top priority.

"We still have people living on unpaved streets or damaged streets," he said.

The city also suffers from a lack of entertainment options, he said, which means potential tax revenue for Bella Vista is going to neighboring cities.

The city and POA should have a close working relationship, he said, but remain separate entities.

"They need to work together for the betterment of the city and the people they represent," he said.

The key to handling growth, Henning said, is to be ready to adapt and change. If growth changes the area, he said, the city needs to be flexible enough to change with it.

"We need fresh, new ideas in Bella Vista and I think I'm a good option to bring those ideas and represent the people and the city," Henning said.