FAYETTEVILLE -- Adam Fire Cat is taking another shot at a City Council seat.
Cat, 45, filed to fill the seat held by Ward 4 Council Member Kyle Smith. Ward 4 covers most of the city west of Interstate 49 and parts of the University of Arkansas campus.
This is Cat's fourth attempt for a council seat. He ran for mayor in 2008, when Lioneld Jordan won his first term. He followed with unsuccessful bids in 2010 and 2012 for a Ward 2 council seat. He was on the ballot for Ward 2 in 2016, but was ineligible because he moved. In 2018, he challenged incumbent John La Tour for Ward 4. Teresa Turk won the seat in a runoff.
Cat said he's in it to win it. He said he understands he may not always be the type of candidate people are looking for.
"I want to run at least on what I believe, as opposed to running to cater to everybody's idea of what I should be," Cat said.
Cat believes the city shouldn't regulate building or development aesthetics. The city also should strive for a balanced budget, he said.
The pandemic has brought nuance to the idea of personal freedom, he said. Wearing a mask could be considered an infringement on personal rights, but the public's health is at stake, he said. Cat said he supports mandates on wearing masks.
Cat was laid off at Village Inn because of the pandemic and hopes to get back to work soon, he said.
Council members earn $1,042 per month and serve four-year terms.
Municipal filings began Wednesday and end at noon Aug. 5. The nonpartisan election is Nov. 3.