Artist Bryan Frazier has announced he will run for the Ward 1 position on the Little Rock Board of Directors currently held by Erma Hendrix.
Hendrix did not respond to a request for comment, but she told the Arkansas Times that she will seek re-election in November.
Frazier, 41, describes himself as a philanthropist, entrepreneur, artist and musician. He is the executive director of the Arkansas Music and Arts Foundation, and he owns and operates Capitol View Studio. He has lived in Ward 1 for about two years.
Frazier bought the recording studio two blocks from the state Capitol in 2015 and renovated it. He said its proximity to the Salvation Army made him aware of the need for "a more focused, nuanced approach to assisting and empowering Little Rock's homeless population."
Frazier is a member of the Salvation Army Central Arkansas Command board and the Capitol Zoning District Commission. He plans to discuss his campaign announcement at a 6 p.m. event today at Raduno Brick Oven and Barroom, 1318 S. Main St.
Hendrix is a longtime city board member. She first served in 1994 for one year. Then she returned in 2007 and has kept the Ward 1 position ever since.
She has advocated for doing away with the board's three at-large positions and creating a residency requirement for Little Rock police.
Six of the 10 city director seats and the mayor's seat are up for grabs in the November general election. Candidates cannot formally file for the election until August.
City directors are elected to four-year terms. They set city policy, have the final say on zoning and land-use issues, approve large contracts and meet nearly every Tuesday at City Hall. The job pays $18,500 per year.
Ward 1 includes the eastern section of Little Rock as well as downtown.
Metro on 02/01/2018