Incumbent, rivals face North Little Rock's only contested race

NORTH LITTLE ROCK -- Just one incumbent on the City Council, Ronald Harris of Ward 3, faces a competitive reelection bid in November.

Two challengers are running to unseat Harris, who is finishing his first term on the council after he was elected four years ago.

Two other incumbents on the City Council, Maurice Taylor of Ward 2 and Charlie Hight of Ward 4, are running unopposed for reelection. Candidate Nathan Hamilton also is running unopposed in Ward 1, where he seeks to replace retiring Council Member Beth White.

Harris, 65, is a former longtime employee of the Entergy utility company. He worked in a variety of roles at the utility over more than three decades, including as a customer service manager.

After retiring from Entergy in 2015, Harris became the executive vice president of the Arkansas Home Builders Association. He now works in the homebuilding industry full time through his company, Summerwood Inc.

Harris described public service as integral to his life beginning at an early age. His father, Woody Harris, served as mayor of Russellville in the 1990s. Additionally, Ronald Harris' work on behalf of Entergy brought him in touch with cities and governments and with the realm of economic development.

"Public service is important to be engaged in your community, and I've done it all my life," Harris said.

Before his election to the City Council in 2016, Harris served on the city Planning Commission.

In an interview Friday, Harris noted his cooperation with fellow Ward 3 Council Member Steve Baxter, and he said he is seeking another term to continue the city's accomplishments.

New on the horizon, Harris said, is a surveillance-camera registration program that he helped spearhead, in which residents can register their home surveillance cameras with the police to ensure that footage can be provided to the authorities in the event of an incident nearby.

He also noted the approval of drainage improvement projects near 50th Street.

Another priority is revitalizing and making improvements to the Levy area, Harris said. City officials are considering improvements in the area of the downtown plaza and Curtis Sykes Drive, according to Harris.

His opponent, John Parker, 73, works for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as a digital district manager. Parker previously served on the North Little Rock City Council for a four-year term beginning in 2005.

He was defeated in his reelection bid in 2008 by Sam Baggett, who later resigned after he was convicted in 2010 of federal charges related to providing a firearm to a felon.

In 2016, Parker ran unsuccessfully against Harris for the open Ward 3 seat held by the retiring Bruce Foutch, who died in 2017.

In the past, Parker has served on the North Little Rock Board of Adjustment and on the North Little Rock Planning Commission.

Parker said his "pride and love for the city of North Little Rock" was the reason why he decided to run again in Ward 3.

While he said he did not want to "get into specifics" on where the city is doing well and where it needs to improve, Parker said he is willing to work with the mayor and other council members "to continue the progress in addressing issues and solving all problems facing the city of North Little Rock."

Parker argued that he has more experience than his opponents.

"I know what I'm talking about; I've done it before," he said. "And neither of the other opponents have as much or more experience than I do."

However, he described Harris as "a fine fellow," then added, "and I'd vote for him myself if I weren't running."

The third candidate in the Ward 3 race, Harlan Hunter, did not respond to a request for an interview.

Taylor, 57, an incumbent representing Ward 2, seeks a fourth term on the North Little Rock City Council. He was first elected in 2008.

Taylor said he and his fellow Ward 2 representative, Linda Robinson, want to finish up "vital infrastructure projects." A main goal is to spur economic development along the East Broadway corridor, Taylor said, especially in light of "a new mayor coming in."

North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith is retiring after two terms.

Hight, 73, has represented Ward 4 for 20 years since he was first elected in 2000. Hight said he does not plan to run for reelection again in 2024, which would make the next term his final one on the council.

Hamilton, 44, worked as a special assistant to former North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays beginning in 2011, and then as communications director for Smith. Hamilton resigned in 2019 to focus on running a boutique hotel in North Little Rock, The Baker, alongside his wife, Stacy Hamilton, a local Realtor.

Hamilton also is attending the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he is on track to graduate in December.

Asked why he decided to attend law school, Hamilton said: "I wanted to make sure I had all the tools necessary to do whatever came after being communications director. And I wanted to make sure I was constantly learning and, you know, adding to my toolkit of things I can do in my life."

He said he is running for the City Council seat because North Little Rock "needs competent, experienced, professional leadership. That's in the mayor's office, and in the eight seats on City Council."

According to Hamilton, the city is in a strong position financially thanks to Smith, but he said the city can do a much better job with regard to data on where its resources are being expended.

By way of example, Hamilton referred to a scenario in which the city is having to fill the same pothole every two years.

"Where's the records being kept, and how can we see that in a ... user-friendly way? Using technology, showing people, 'This is where your money's going,'" Hamilton said. "And this is how much it costs."

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