Candidates meet public at Artist Retreat Center

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Candidates talk with meet and greet attendees and amongst themselves before the event officially starts.
Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Candidates talk with meet and greet attendees and amongst themselves before the event officially starts.

Candidates vying for three council seats, the mayor position and one candidate for the District 7 Benton County Quorum Court position all came to meet voters at the Artist Retreat Center on Thursday, Oct. 11.

Candidates were given 10 minutes to introduce themselves before fielding questions from the audience, which asked about keeping the city safe, volunteerism and other things.

Mayor Peter Christie, who is running for re-election, was the first to address the crowd.

"I'm delighted to see so many here," he said. "We have made a lot of great changes in the past three-and-a-half years."

The city has plans to replace Fire Station 3, he said, and is working to acquire land for it.

The city has fixed a lot of roads in the past few years -- 100 of the 186 miles of documented damaged roads have been repaired, he said.

"We're growing," he said, citing increases in new housing permits -- currently up 1,500 percent compared to 2013.

Christie said he's been working to create economic development in the city to keep pace with the increasing population.

Christopher Narloch, who is running for mayor, spoke next.

Narloch said he was concerned about growth because he grew up riding dirtbikes and shooting guns in a desert that is now a city.

"Everything I loved about that town no longer exists, and I'm afraid that's what's happening in Bella Vista," he said.

Dylan Shaddox, running for city council Ward 1, position 2, said he's in favor of transparency, supporting volunteer efforts, economic development and improving infrastructure.

"I'm very excited," he said.

Council member Linda Lloyd came to represent council member John Flynn, who is running for Ward 1, Position 2, but had prior obligations on the board of trustees for Sewanee University in Tennessee.

Lloyd read a statement discussing Flynn's qualifications and why he was unable to attend.

"I needed to keep my prior obligation," Flynn wrote.

Christian Henning, running for Ward 2 Position 2, said he's interested in being involved with the community to better understand it.

Moreover, he said, he's got a different perspective to bring to the council.

"I am young, but I'm also bringing fresh ideas," he said.

Brent Stinespring, running for Ward 2 Position 2, said that he's been a teacher 18 years and a realtor for 10 years and he wants to see Bella Vista become the best it can be.

"I want to be more involved with the city," he said.

Larry Wilms, running for Ward 2 Position 2, said he moved to the area from Wisconsin 13 years ago, and he brings a great deal of experience working with municipal governments.

"I have very good experience and good insight," he said.

J.B. Portillo, running for Ward 3 Position 2, said she has excellent experience working in stressful situations and her work with Bella Vista Community Television has kept her in the loop with city and POA business.

"I'm used to getting things done," she said.

Jack Kelly, running for Ward 3 Position 2, said he has 18 years of experience purchasing supplies and managing budgets in multiple departments for the city of Tulsa. Kelly said he's good at looking through and understanding budgets.

"Let's grow and prosper here in Bella Vista. Let's do it wisely," he said.

Steven Bourke, running for Ward 3 Position 2, said he wants Bella Vista to stay safe, manage growth and operate in a fiscally responsible fashion.

"I want to be a part of the fabric of this community," he said.

Joseph Bollinger, running for the District 7 seat on the Benton County Quorum Court, said he believes the area is overtaxed and the county government is spending excessively.

"We're spending money like it's going out of style," he said.

Attendee Sue Jones said she appreciated the chance to meet everyone, though she wasn't sure who she'd be voting for just yet. A sample ballot would have been helpful, she said.

"They were really good, they had lots of good things to say," she said.

Bella Vista resident Kendra Murphy said she thought this gave her enough information to make a decision. It was clear, she said, who was prepared and who wasn't.

"I definitely know who I'm voting for," she said.

General News on 10/17/2018