Signatures submitted in effort to change Fort Smith’s form of government - Talk Business & Politics
A group seeking to change Fort Smith’s form of government submitted 3,607 signatures Monday (Aug. 3) to Fort Smith Mayor George McGill and City Clerk Sherri Gard. If enough signatures. . .
A group seeking to change Fort Smith’s form of government submitted 3,607 signatures Monday (Aug. 3) to Fort Smith Mayor George McGill and City Clerk Sherri Gard. If enough signatures are verified, the question would be placed on the November general election ballot. “This petition represents the work of citizens who believe Fort Smith voters deserve the opportunity to determine how their city government should be structured,” according to a statement from Fort Smith attorney Joey McCutchen, an organizer of the signature-gathering process. “We thank and greatly appreciate every individual who sacrificed their time and energy in this process. Whether it was gathering signatures in 100-degree heat, or spreading the word about this effort, each and every single person involved made an impact on what will be remembered as a historic moment in Fort Smith’s history. ”Mayor McGill on Monday congratulated those “who have worked so very hard” to gather signatures and manage the process. Monday’s signature submission was the second attempt by the group. A planned July 21 signature submissionwas canceledwhen a signature gatherer, Jacqueline Hooper, alleged that “numerous petition pages” she turned over to Shayne McKinney were not properly notarized by McKinney. McKinney is one of the leaders of the effort. Hooper also alleged that petition pages provided to McKinney by another person also were not properly notarized by McKinney. She said after seeking advice from an attorney, she does not want to “endorse any affidavit that I now believe may not have been executed in accordance with applicable legal requirements. ”The group’s submission of 3,607 signatures is 1,000 more than the 2,607 valid voter signatures required. The office of Fort Smith City Clerk Sherri Gard will now work to verify signatures. The deadline to submit a change-of-government proclamation to Sebastian County Clerk Sharon Brooks is Aug. 25, according to state law. Gard’s office is responsible to determine the validity of signatures, which must be from registered voters who live within the corporate limits of the city. Fort Smith Mayor George McGill on Monday (Aug. 3) signs a document confirming the submission of signatures in a petition process that seeks to change the city’s form of government. Gard told organizers that the job of her office is “to do everything in our power” to verify each signature. “It is not our job to disqualify. It is our job to verify as many (signatures) as we can,” she said, adding that they will work late hours if necessary to meet the election calendar deadline. In Fort Smith’s form of government, the mayor is largely ceremonial and 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. The Fort Smith Board of Directors rejected two attempts to approve a resolution that would place the question on the ballot without going through the signature process. Related