Jonesboro city council candidates make their case during panel discussion

Two incumbents and two challengers pitched their candidacies Wednesday at the Jonesboro Kiwanis Club meeting. Alderman John Street was joined by his opponent, Amanda Dunavant while incumbent Alderman L.J. Bryant was joined by his challenger Robert Speer.

Blighted sections of the city have been an issue for several years, and all four were asked how to tackle this problem. The newly formed city land bank is a step in the right direction, and diligent code enforcement is needed, Street said. City officials need to adopt policies and procedures that will create a business friendly environment in these areas, he added.

Revitalizing these parts of the city are crucial, Dunavant said. Many people don’t have the money to reconstruct or cleanup some of these properties, A significant number of these properties are in northern Jonesboro and there are efforts underway to create a corridor in this area to connect downtown Jonesboro with the Arkansas State University campus. A volunteer labor effort where volunteers go door to door to offer help to cleanup these properties might be an option, she said.

Bryant, who was appointed to the council more than a year ago, said development of the land bank and corridor will be key to the economic fortunes in blighted parts of the city. Jonesboro has an annual budget of about $60 million and has about 600 employees and its involved in a myriad of capital improvement projects, he said. These commitments mean the city has limited resources when it comes to development, but it could utilize other tools, such as lifting zoning restrictions in some of these areas to encourage building and business growth, he said.

Speer said he was shocked to learn that roughly half the homes in Jonesboro are either rented or leased. When he worked as a police officer, one sign that a neighborhood was in distress was if houses or buildings had broken windows. When someone buys a house they not only buy a home, they buy a neighborhood, he said. Community involvement and finding “grass roots” solutions will go a long way to curb blighted areas, he added.

All four where asked what could be done to keep younger people from leaving the city for opportunities in other places.

Connecting with the youth, starting in high school is one way to improve retention, Bryant said. Many citizens are busy and don’t have time to attend council or committee meetings, even though decisions made at these meetings impact their lives, he said. Outreach through social media and other new forms of communication will be critical in connecting younger people to the city, he added.

Working one on one with potential leaders in the community will be critical, Speer said. If elected, he said he would like to serve as a mentor to these burgeoning city leaders, and since he is retired he has time to devote to this cause.

Dunavant, a single mother of three, said she has mentored her daughters and others for years. One thing she has done, and will continue to do, is encourage young women to get involved in government and government-related activities. Government has been male dominated in the area, and more women need to be involved in the process, she added.

Street, who has served on the council for 16 years, said he’s been involved in youth activities for many years. He served with the Cub Scouts, coached youth baseball, and was active in other activities. These experiences have given him connectivity with younger generations, he said.

The Jonesboro municipal election is set for Nov. 6, with early voting to begin Oct. 22. The last day to register for the election is Oct. 9.