FAYETTEVILLE, Ark — Three candidates are going up against long-time Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan this election.
Incumbent Lioneld Jordan, Ron Baucom, Tom Terminella and William Bill Harris are all on the ticket.
Baucom and Terminella both ran for the seat in 2016 against Jordan while Harris is a newcomer this year.
With early voting done, we asked each candidate what message they wanted to leave voters with before Election Day.
Baucom put an emphasis on city finances.
“My top priority will always be the welfare, health and safety of all citizens,” Baucom said. “We can’t keep using the city’s money like Monopoly money for just a small amount of people.”
Terminella says he believes more should be done to support local businesses. He says he thinks the $226 million bond issue passed in 2019 could have been better allocated.
“Feel good projects don’t create amenities for the citizens, the taxpayers, and the people of Fayetteville, Arkansas,” Terminella said. “They are feel-good projects. Do things that have an impact on police, fire, water, sewer, sanitation and transportation.”
Harris said he sees a need for more community gathering space and wider roads.
“Open up the conversation and serve a wider range of people, for instance, I’d like to see satellite libraries at the north end of town and the west side,” Harris said.
Jordan, who is trying for his fourth term, said he wants to continue moving the city forward in a progressive manner.
“I mean if you look over the last five years we have been in the top 10 of cities to live in in the United States,” Jordan said. “So it’s because we have all worked together and moved things forward in a unified way.”