Hot off the press this morning! The Daily Record newspaper QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS interview of Tim Robinson, my opponent for City Council, and me. Robinson Challenges Thomas in Bentonville, Ward 2 - By Melissa Gute BENTONVILLE -- Voters will decided between incumbent Roger Thomas or Tim Robinson to serve in the Ward 2, Position 1 City Council seat. Ward 2 is the northwest corner of the city. QUESTION: Why are you running for Bentonville City Council? ROBINSON: I am running for Bentonville City Council because of my passion and vision for this city. I have served on the board of directors for Downtown Bentonville Inc. the last six years where I was president in 2012 and 2013. The impact that DBI has been able to make on downtown Bentonville has transformed Bentonville. I am ready to take my passion and experience and apply it to the challenges facing the council. Residents deserve the very best leaders for this city who are willing to work hard, hold people accountable and get things done to make Bentonville an even better place to live, work, play and invest. THOMAS: One can only hope that during their lifetime they can provide a service of value to their community, and I feel that this is my time to provide that service. Im running for City Council because I think the outlook I bring to the council is healthy for the city of Bentonville. My agenda is transparent: first and foremost, the well-being of all citizens of Bentonville, the continued growth for the city of Bentonville -- which cant be stopped, but can only be managed with positive, experienced business decisions -- and lastly, how can all citizens benefit from a quality of life perspective, a professional and financial perspective and a cultural perspective, in that order. When I see and read the City Council meeting items, I am making experienced, common-sense business decisions based on these parameters. QUESTION: What do you see as Bentonvilles biggest issue that needs to be addressed? How would you address it? ROBINSON: The biggest issue that needs to be addressed in Bentonville is a sustainable network of basic city services and planning. Bentonville has experienced, and will continue to experience, enormous growth over the next decade. We need to have a solid plan for that growth so that when we look back 10 to 20 years from now we are proud of the way we expanded so that our town remains a great small town. As an example, one of the biggest complaints I have heard over last year had to do with the poor snow removal plans Bentonville had last winter. Neighboring states and towns had better plans than Bentonville, and that is unacceptable. We need to have better plans in place and ensure we take care of the needs of this community. THOMAS: I feel that Bentonvilles biggest issue is managing the accelerated growth of our city with common sense business decisions and realizing that we are accountable for our decisions. I want to protect every citizens best interest, especially when it involves private citizens property. When one lives in a boom town, such as Bentonville, I have found that sometimes individuals, organizations and businesses come into our city from out of town with their own vertical agenda that benefits only them and a few others, with little to no regard of the human/citizen factor. What citizens does their investment project affect? What property of Bentonville citizens does their investment project affect? Is it all good, all bad, or do we need to navigate the good and the bad? What type of lasting mark will their project investment make on the city? Is there honor and integrity built into their agenda, which will reflect on the city? My objective is to steer through these issues with experienced and grounded decisions, all in the spirit of having the citizens and citys best interests in mind. QUESTION: What amenities, if any, does Bentonville not have that it should have to maintain or enhance its quality of life? ROBINSON: Bentonville has done a great job creating opportunities for families to engage. We are a small town with great values and a strong work ethic, and I think it is only natural that our city has gravitated toward promoting family friendly events such as First Friday, farmers market, high school sporting events, etc. As a small business owner and young executive at Walmart, I know more needs to be done to recruit, attract and retain the future leaders in this community. For younger professionals there needs to be more entertainment options from movie theaters to live music, as well as better shopping options, and the council needs to be have a clear plan in place that can enable that to occur. THOMAS: We have a world-renown museum and adding the new Amazeum in 2015. Our citys parks, walking trails and bike trails, community centers, community gathering events (First Friday, Christmas on the Square, farmers market, Orchards Park concert series, etc.) are some of the best in the country. We have restaurants, shopping, quality places to work and make a living, places to go to church. We have it. So lets continue to grow it, and with all new amenities lets think quality of life enhancement and the moral depth of each. QUESTION: What makes you the better candidate? ROBINSON: I know that I am the best candidate because I have the clear experience, as well as the strong work ethic, to help continue to move this city forward. I own a small business, but also work for the worlds largest company. I have been fortunate to travel across the county (and world), and Ive seen what success can look like. At the same time, Ive lived in Bentonville the last 17 years and understand how important it is that we maintain the Bentonville essence. I am not the kind of person to just sign up for something unless I am going to work hard and leave it in a much better place than I found it. Im not going to just show up to council meetings to vote; Im going to bring ideas, recommendations and my vision to make this city the best it can be. I have already worked with many of the city department heads and mayor on city issues through volunteer capacities, and I am confident the relationship we already have will only strengthen while I am in office so we can get more done and exceed the expectations of Bentonville residents. THOMAS: I have the utmost respect for my opponent and his family. Tim was one of my signatures when I filed for re-election in July. Regardless if Tim wins our race, or one in the future, Tim will be an asset to the city. For now, I feel I am the best candidate because I am the most experienced, qualified and vested in the city. January marks 20 years that I have been self-employed in Bentonville, with the last 11 years being TeleComps principal owner. TeleComp won the Chamber of Commerces Main Street Business of the Year in 2012. In 2013, we moved downtown. We employ 20-plus people, and I live by a budget daily. In 2007, I was fortunate to be one of the first volunteers for Amazeum now being built near Crystal Bridges. This organization was founded by Jim Demaree and partially funded by the Walton Family Foundation. I was appointed to be vice president from 2010-2012 when the project moved from a dream to reality. Im thankful for the experience I gained from the best movers and shakers in Northwest Arkansas. For these reasons, I feel that it is a perfect time for me to serve on council. City Council elections will be held in the general election Nov. 4. Early voting begins Oct. 20 at each of the three Benton County Clerks offices at 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville, 1428 W. Walnut St. in Rogers and 707 Lincoln St. in Siloam Springs. Other early voting sites include Iberia Bank at 706 S. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville; Riordan Hall at 3 Riordan Road in Bella Vista; Intrust Bank at 3300 Market, Suite 130 in Rogers; Gravette Civic Center at 401 Charlotte St. in Gravette; Rogers/Lowell Chamber of Commerce at 506 Enterprise Drive in Lowell; and the Centerton Firehouse at 755 W. Centerton Blvd. in Centerton. NW News on 10/11/2014
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 12:35:42 +0000