Group meets to begin effort to change Fort Smith’s form of government

About 40 people gathered Friday night (Jan. 16) in Fort Smith for the first official meeting of a group – Take Back the Fort 2015  – to collectively discuss their plans to begin a petition drive in early February for the purpose of changing the form of government in Arkansas’ second largest city.

The meeting, held in the community room of the Fort Smith Police Department, was directed by Don Paul Bales, the former Fort Smith police officer who was fired and is now suing the department to get his job back.

Bales said the “simple” goal of Take Back the Fort 2015 is to change the form of government so the person directing the city’s daily business is elected by and accountable to voters. Fort Smith’s city administrator form of government has a city administrator who is hired and fired by the seven-member elected Board of Directors. Fort Smith has a mayor, but the position is largely ceremonial, with the primary duty to preside over Board meetings.

“It’s not to pick on (Fort Smith City Administrator) Ray Gosack … but it’s (the job) not accountable to the voting community,” Bales said. “That is simply the whole point of what we’re trying to do.”

Matt Campbell, Bales’ attorney in his suit against the city, is also providing legal advice to the group and was at the Friday meeting. He confirmed that 2,517 signatures are needed to get a change-of-government question on a city ballot. However, the group also wants to change the government so that the city attorney and city clerk are also elected. Legal technicalities related to those changes require a 90-day period, which essentially makes it difficult for the change of government vote on be on a planned May 12 city election. That election has been scheduled for renewal of the city’s 1% sales tax dedicated to streets, bridges and associated drainage.

Bales and several members of the group expressed confidence that they would be able to quickly gather the signatures. Bales said several times it is important that the group work with a single voice and goal “and not get drawn into a dogfight on a single issue.” He said those opposed to changing the form of government will work to “undermine” their efforts and “spin and twist” what they say to confuse the issue.

Bob Newbold, one of the leaders in the successful citizen effort to overturn in November 2011 the city’s effort to implement a prepared food tax, agreed with Bales about the issue being a political battle.

“I’m just telling you, you’re fighting a machine,” Newbold said of the city.

Bales said it is important for those in the group to raise money in order to get the message out. Former City Director Velvet Medlock Barrows told the group she is already working to collect money for the effort.

However, Campbell told The City Wire that the group has yet to set up a legal identity with the Arkansas Ethics Commission to begin collecting money for the ballot question effort. He said he planned to contact commission officials on Monday and make that happen.

The group plans to begin soliciting signatures in early February. They scheduled a meeting for Jan. 30 – tentatively set for 6 p.m., at the main branch of the Fort Smith Public Library – to review an organizational chart of form of government they want voters to approve. Bales said the group will also discuss and finalize other details at that meeting.

City Director André Good, who attended the meeting, was impressed with what he heard and was surprised by the number who attended.

“The presentation was very professional. … And it was very obvious to me that the presenters did their homework,” Good said after the meeting.

He said the chances are “very, very high” that the group will get enough signatures to force an election. He is unwilling to predict the results of the election, other than to say “it will be very tight.”

“You will see some important groups, groups on both sides, and people with a lot of influence, really come out on this,” Good said.