JONESBORO -- A never-ending project to build a lake, the replacement of a historical railroad bridge and preparing for major disasters are matters both candidates for Craighead County judge are touting before the Nov. 8 general election.
Craighead County Judge Ed Hill, 61, a Democrat, seeks his fourth term.
Republican challenger Jeff Presley, 57, is director of Jonesboro's E-911 center and is making his first venture into politics.
Both are from Jonesboro.
Hill won his first bid for county judge in 2010 and adopted the Bono Lake project, which began in the late 1990s as an idea to provide recreational opportunities for the county and to alleviate drainage and flooding problems for Bono just west of Jonesboro.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission originally planned to own the land and lease the 135-acre lake to the county. Voters supported a 1 percent sales tax in 2008 to help fund the $4.5 million project, but problems with construction of a dam, filling the lake and other issues slowed the work.
The county announced earlier this month that it would retain ownership of the land.
"I knew it would be a difficult project when I became judge, but the county said they wanted it," Hill said. "Seventy-three percent of the voters [in 2008] were in favor of the tax. People said they wanted to get out and have a recreational facility."
Presley said the lake was a good project that took much longer than expected. He said the county of 96,443 people needs to prioritize its money better.
"It's taken a long-term commitment," he said. "We're in damage control now. I think we need to look at other priorities first."
Hill said the county has been conservative with its money since he's been in office. He said he plans to replace a 135-year-old railroad bridge in Bono that was closed to traffic in 2010 for safety reasons.
He said he hopes the new bridge will be built by the end of the summer, opening a shorter route for some to get from Bono to Jonesboro.
Presley has been Jonesboro's E-911 director for eight years and worked in emergency communications with the city and county for the past 25 years.
He said planning for potential disasters should be one of the county's most pressing priorities.
State Desk on 10/17/2016