Morton says he will seek election to Fort Smith Board
by May 14, 2020 3:42 pm 981 views
Fort Smith City Director Lavon Morton announced Wednesday (May 13) he has filed as a candidate for the Ward 3 position he holds in the upcoming election. Morton was appointed to the position in April 2019 following former Director Mike Lorenz’s move out of state.
“I have enjoyed the past year as a city director, especially the opportunity to meet and get to know more of the people in Ward 3 and throughout the city. I want to continue to work with Mayor George McGill, other directors and the city administration and city departments for the benefit of the Fort Smith community,” Morton said.
Morton retired from Fort Smith-based ArcBest Corp. at the end of 2016 after a 20-year career with the Fortune 1000 company. Prior to joining ArcBest in 2016, he worked for the international accounting firm Ernst & Young for 24 years, the last 12 years as a partner.
“Because of Covid-19, we are entering a period of great economic challenges for the city. I believe my experience as a CPA with a long career in the business world and my knowledge of budgets and other financial matters important to the city will be valuable in helping the city address those challenges.”
In addition to serving on the Fort Smith board, Morton is a member of the Board of the Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House and the Fort Smith Symphony. He previously served for six years on the Board of the United Way of Fort Smith Area and is chairman of the United Way Endowment Committee. Morton is also chairman of the Advancement Advisory Council of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education in Fort Smith. He served as a citizen member of the Audit Advisory Committee for the city of Fort Smith for more than 15 years. After his appointment as a city director, he was appointed as a Board member of the Committee.
Morton and his wife, Brenda Yelvington, have a daughter, Kameron, a graduate of Northside High School.
The city director position is a four-year term. The filing period for candidates seeking a position on the board opened Wednesday and will continue through May 28. If more than two candidates file for a seat, there will be a primary election Aug. 3. The general election will be Nov. 3. Any candidate receiving more than 50% of the votes in the primary election will win the seat and will not have to run again in the general election, according to the city clerk’s office.
Positions up for election this year include Ward 3; Ward 1, held by Keith Lau; Ward 2, held by Andre Good; and Ward 4, held by George Catsavis. Lau has said he will not seek reelection to the Ward 1 position. Jarred Rego of Fort Smith announced his candidacy for the Ward 1 position May 6.