LITTLE ROCK — Voters in North Little Rock’s Ward 3 haven’t been merely unpredictable at the polls in past elections, but often downright picky in their selections.
On Tuesday, the ward’s voters will be choosing again - this time in a City Council runoff between Alderman Bruce Foutch and North Little Rock School Board member Darrell Montgomery.
Early voting resumes Monday in North Little Rock’s Laman Library at 2801 Orange St. from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and in Little Rock in the Pulaski County Regional Building at 501 W. Markham from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday’s election will be Ward 3’s sixth-consecutive to be settled in a runoff. In three of the previous runoffs, an incumbent was voted out.In four of the past five times, the candidate trailing in the general election came out on top in the runoff.
That pattern would suit Montgomery, he said. He trailed Foutch 1,906 votes to 1,575 in the Nov. 6 election, according to totals certified by the Pulaski County Election Commission last week. Former Alderman John Parker received 1,371 votes in that election.
“I do believe the voters will make the choice for the change we need in our city,” said Montgomery, 45, a contract specialist with the U.S. Amy Corps of Engineers. “And I do know they want a change just from the conversations I’ve had with people out in the community.
“They want something different,” Montgomery continued. “They want a responsive city government, they want to have improved streets, and they want us to address the crime issue.”
Foutch, 59, director of contract services at Pathfinder Inc. and winner of a special election for the seat in March last year, emphasized that a constant turnover in aldermen for the ward has hurt ward improvements.
“I think experience is the key,” Foutch said. “We have a lot of projects that are ongoing, some that are scheduled to occur that have been bid and are not done yet or are being held until the new fiscal year comes into effect.With a turnover from an election, that would delay a lot of those projects.
“That’s kind of been the history of Ward 3,” Foutch added. “With so much turnover, projects that have been looked at and proposed, they have gone by the wayside. You first need to learn what the issues are. Sometimes it takes a little prompting and energy by the aldermen to continue to get the process to move forward.”
Foutch said he’s gotten “real good feedback” from voters in the ward during the runoff campaign.
“There were a few surprised that there was a runoff,” he said. “That’s always the biggest hurdle in a runoff, that people know that it’s occurring and they need to get out again and vote.”
Montgomery was unopposed in being re-elected to the School Board in September. If elected alderman, he would be able to continue serving on the School Board.
“It’s not just to occupy another position, but to make things better,” Montgomery said. “That’s why I ran for the School Board, and that’s why I’m running for City Council, to make things better.”
Arkansas, Pages 15 on 11/25/2012