What to know about the Fayetteville mayor's race
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Four people — incumbent Lioneld Jordan, Adam Fire Cat, Molly Rawn and Tom Terminella — are looking to lead Northwest Arkansas' largest city.
How it works: A candidate with more than 50% of the vote on Nov. 5 wins outright. A candidate can also win with 40% of the vote if they have a 20 percentage point lead over the person with the second-most votes.
- Otherwise, the two candidates with the most votes will head to a runoff election Dec. 3.
Here's what they had to say.
Adam Fire Cat
Adam Fire Cat told Axios he wants to implement single-stream recycling, where residents don't separate their recyclables, which he believes would result in more goods being recycled.
What he's saying: Fire Cat opposes ordinances that he says impose on individual freedoms, like ones that dictate how homes look even if they pose no danger to residents.
- Plus, the city should look at height requirements for buildings and consider building vertically as Fayetteville grows, Fire Cat said.
On housing affordability: Fayetteville needs more housing for low- and middle-income residents but does not have enough incentives for developers to build that housing, Fire Cat said.
Background: This is Fire Cat's sixth time running for public office in Fayetteville. He ran for mayor in 2008 and has since run for City Council four times, dropping out once because he moved out of the ward he was running to represent. Fire Cat drives for Uber Eats and Door Dash and previously worked at Village Inn.
Mayor Lioneld Jordan
Mayor Lioneld Jordan has started several projects in Fayetteville that he'd like to finish and wants to continue to serve as a progressive servant leader, he told Axios.
What he's saying: Jordan is seeing the city through its work on the cultural arts corridor that includes a new civic plaza downtown, a new river access park and revamping 71B, a key corridor in Fayetteville.
- While Fayetteville is part of the NWA region, it's also a unique place, and he wants to "keep it Fayetteville," he said.
On housing affordability: Fayetteville is rewriting its unified development code, which regulates development-related issues like zoning. Jordan wants the revised code to work for the city's future housing needs. This year he also appointed a housing task force set on looking at ways to make housing affordable.
- Part of the work on 71B includes allowing multiple kinds of housing to be built there.
- Wages are also not keeping up with costs of housing, and the city needs more workforce training opportunities so people can earn more money that affords them better housing, Jordan said.
Background: Jordan is serving his fourth term as mayor. He serves on numerous organizations like Climate Mayors, the Housing Committee for U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Human Development Committee for the National League of Cities.
Molly Rawn
Molly Rawn wants to make it easier for small business owners to operate in the city by streamlining the process of opening one and having city departments work together more efficiently, she told Axios.
What she's saying: Fayetteville has grown complacent and isn't living up to its full potential, Rawn said. She wants to strengthen relationships with the city's largest employers and neighboring cities, plus ensure residents have access to resources like public transportation and parks.
On housing affordability: Rawn noted that in many parts of the city, it's illegal to build anything other than single-family homes, and in some areas, no housing can be built at all. She wants to change the city's code to allow for more housing options and to enforce stricter regulations on short-term rentals like Airbnbs.
Background: Rawn is CEO of Experience Fayetteville, the city's tourism arm governed by the Advertising and Promotion Commission. She's been in the role for eight years and also serves on the Mount Sequoyah board. This is her first run for public office.
- Rawn has worked with all city departments in her role and says tourism is a tool to improve quality of life for residents, not just visitors.
Tom Terminella
Tom Terminella wants to upgrade the city's water and sewer infrastructure, he told Axios.
What he's saying: A city's most essential job is to provide water, sewer, sanitation, police and fire services. The current administration "wants to have dessert every day instead of meat and potatoes," he said, adding the city should prioritize replacing aging utility infrastructure over extending services to "pet projects" like Kessler Mountain.
- Terminella also said the city needs more east/west corridors to alleviate traffic congestion.
On housing affordability: Fayetteville needs to make it easier and cheaper for developers to build, he said, claiming the city puts too much infrastructure costs, impact fees and bureaucracy onto developers, including those who would build housing.
Background: Terminella has never held public office. This is his third bid for Fayetteville mayor. He also previously ran for Washington County judge and currently works in real estate at his company, Terminella Co.