FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM)- The Fayetteville Civil Rights Ordinance has become a key issue in the runoff election for City Council, Ward 1 between incumbent Adella Gray and Paul Phaneuf.
Ordinance 119 prohibits local businesses and entities from discriminating against employees and customers based on gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and other factors. The Fayetteville City Council passed the ordinance in August, but its opponents gathered enough signatures to force a special election on Dec. 9, which will ask voters if they want to repeal Ordinance 119.
Both Gray and Phaneuf agree, the ordinance has become a top issue for Fayetteville voters.
"To a lot of people, it is strictly about [Ordinance] 119," Phaneuf said. "So what I'm really about, is doing what I need to do to set up an environment that businesses can thrive here."
Gray said a lot of people never heard of Phaneuf until the ordinance.
"So, I think, yes, it is a lot about [Ordinance] 119," Gray added.
A recent automated call by a group identifying themselves as "Save Fayetteville" claims Gray supports allowing men to use women's restrooms by supporting Ordinance 119. Opponents of the ordinance have said it will allow transgender individuals to use a public restroom of their choice.
Here is a transcript of part of the automated call: "Adella Gray has wrongly confused allowing men into women's restrooms as a civil rights issue."
According to Gray, the information in the call is incorrect.
"[Ordinance] 119 has nothing to do with bathrooms," she said.
Phaneuf declined to comment on the automated call saying he has not heard it.
The runoff election is Tuesday, Nov. 25. Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
For a list of all the runoff elections in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley, click here.