Enough signatures verified for Fort Smith change-of-government question - Talk Business & Politics
A Fort Smith change-of-government question will likely have a spot on the November 2026 ballot. Fort Smith City Clerk Sherri Gard on Tuesday (Aug. 18) issued a notice saying enough. . .
A Fort Smith change-of-government question will likely have a spot on the November 2026 ballot. Fort Smith City Clerk Sherri Gard on Tuesday (Aug. 18) issued a notice saying enough valid voter signatures were turned in by a group seeking to place the question on the ballot. A group seeking to change Fort Smith’s form of government submitted what they said were 3,607 signatures Aug. 3 to Fort Smith Mayor George McGill and Gard. The petition needed 2,607 valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. The group would eventually submit more than 4,100 signatures to Gard. “I have reviewed the sufficiency of all petition parts submitted relative to the Petition and have determined that the Petition has been signed by at least 2,607 electors of the city of Fort Smith, which is equal in number to at least fifteen percent (15%) of the aggregate number of ballots cast for all candidates for mayor in the preceding general election,” Gard said in a statement. Gard said 4,122 signatures submitted and 2,681 signatures were “verified as qualified electors within the city of Fort Smith. ”Fort Smith attorney Joey McCutchen, a leader in the signature effort, praised the volunteers in the signature-gathering process and thanked the city staff for its work to review and verify signatures. “I want to personally thank all the dedicated volunteers, Fort Smith citizens and Fort Smith city staff who worked tirelessly to make this certification a reality,” McCutchen noted in a social media post. “Now we can begin the discussion, debate, and deliberation on what form of government will help Fort Smith thrive economically and otherwise. ”In Fort Smith’s form of government, the city administrator is the CEO, managing an annual budget of more than $300 million and more than 1,000 city employees who provide safety, sanitation, water, sewer, and other key services to a city with a population of about 90,000. The city administrator is hired by the board of directors and can be fired at any time by the board. Changing to a mayor-council form of government would place management responsibility with the mayor. Most large cities in Arkansas with a mayor-council government have at least one experienced city manager supporting the mayor in day-to-day operations. The mayor-council form of government would also include elections for city clerk, city attorney, and city treasurer, according to state law. If voters approve a change of government in November 2026, elections for the new government would be held in November 2028. If voters reject a change of government, state law prevents the question from returning to voters for four years. Related