Filing period begins for city of Fort Smith races - Talk Business & Politics
There could be 32 candidates on the November ballot for four city of Fort Smith elected positions, with 14 people picking up candidate packets for the open mayoral position, according. . .
There could be 32 candidates on the November ballot for four city of Fort Smith elected positions, with 14 people picking up candidate packets for the open mayoral position, according to Fort Smith City Clerk Sherri Gard. As of 4 p. m. Wednesday (July 29), Gard said 32 candidate packets had been picked up in recent weeks by those interested in running for city office. City positions on the November ballot are Fort Smith mayor and city director at-large positions 5, 6 and 7. Fort Smith Mayor George McGill is not seeking reelection after two four-year terms in office. Director Christina Catsavis is in Position 5, Director Kevin Settle is in Position 6, and Director Neal Martin is in Position 7. Two of the three director posts are open. Catsavis is running for mayor, leaving the Position 5 seat open. Settle recently announced he is not seeking reelection. Martin is seeking reelection. Each candidate must have 50 signatures from registered voters who reside in the city, according to Gard. “Each position is for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2027,” according to a note from the city clerk’s office. “Candidates must be at least 21 years of age, a resident of the city for at least six months, and be a registered voter in Fort Smith. All candidates are required to file a statement of candidacy and submit a petition containing the signatures of at least 50 registered voters residing in Fort Smith. “Statements of candidacy and petitions must be filed with the city clerk within the official filing period prescribed by law, which begins at 12:00 noon on July 29, 2026, and concludes at 12:00 noon on Aug. 5, 2026. Upon sufficiency, all qualified candidates will be placed on the general election ballot. ”Wednesday was the first day candidate’s could officially file for office by submitting packets with Gard’s office. According to Gard, 14 of the candidate packets picked up were for the mayoral race. As of late Tuesday afternoon, the mayoral candidates who turned in their packets were Director Catsavis, Nataylia Deer, Sara Harrison, and Yvette Powers. For the Position 5 race, Gard said six packets were picked up, and three candidates — Krystal Cadelli, Quinton Cunningham, and Molly Radhakrishnan — turned in their packets Wednesday. For the Position 6 race, nine packets went out, with Carl Nevin and Brian Trumbly submitting their packets. For the Position 7 race, three packets were picked up, with Director Martin submitting his packet Wednesday. Gard said any candidates who do not have 50 valid signatures will be given time to collect more. However, she said her deadline to submit verified candidates to the Sebastian County Clerk is Aug. 20. In Fort Smith’s council-manager form of government, the mayor is largely a ceremonially position, with the seven-member board of directors approving budgets, policies and other key functions. The board also has hire-fire authority over the city administrator, who is effectively the city’s CEO. The city administrator manages 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 general election in Nov. 3. The runoff election, which may be necessary if all city of Fort Smith candidates make the ballot, is Dec. 1. Related