Copenhaver, Bryant face off in Jonesboro mayor’s runoff

The Jonesboro mayoral race started off as a contest with four candidates – incumbent Mayor Harold Copenhaver, Alderman L.J. Bryant, Jeremy Terrell and Thomas Elwood. Copenhaver and Bryant were the top vote earners in the November general election and will vie in a Dec. 3 runoff to determine the city’s next mayor. The two candidates participated in a recent Q&A session with Talk Business & Politics.

What is or will be your signature accomplishment as mayor?

Copenhaver: Reducing crime over the past four years has been a top priority, especially as we worked to recover from the challenges of the pandemic when I first took office. We’ve made significant advancements in public safety, including creating over two dozen new positions in the public safety sector, implementing substantial pay raises for first responders and making significant investments in state-of-the-art equipment to ensure their safety.

Bryant: As mayor, my signature accomplishment will be transforming Jonesboro into one of the safest, cleanest, and most enjoyable cities in the mid-south, firmly establishing it as a premier location to live, work, and raise a family. My ten-point plan will serve as the cornerstone of this effort, with each goal working towards a safer, more connected, and vibrant community.

What quality of life metric will be your top priority if re-elected?

Copenhaver: Public safety. While crime numbers have decreased, there’s still work to be done. Combating crime remains a priority, but it can’t be our sole focus. We’re committed to investing in parks and pedestrian infrastructure to enhance quality of life. Soon, we’ll break ground on Jonesboro’s first aquatics park, complementing the new pool in north Jonesboro. We’ve also revitalized the old YMCA into a youth center and recently acquired land for a park in East Jonesboro. These projects reflect our dedication to creating family-friendly entertainment options.

Bryant: My top priority, quality-of-life metric will be expanding and enhancing our parks and trail systems to create safe, accessible, and enjoyable spaces for all. Parks and trails serve as essential community hubs, allowing people to connect, relax, and be active in their daily lives. For me, quality of life means fostering a sense of community and offering opportunities for residents to engage with each other in vibrant outdoor settings — reminiscent of the simple, connected lifestyle of the “Andy Griffith-Mayberry RFD” days.

In specific terms, please describe in detail how you will tackle crime in the city.

Copenhaver: Since taking office, we’ve achieved significant reductions in crime rates. Our approach is delivering results, and we will stay committed to it: increasing the number of police and first responders, making salaries and benefits more competitive and integrating cutting-edge crime-fighting technology. Early in my administration, we confronted a staffing crisis in our police department, where officers were underpaid and overworked.

Bryant: As mayor, my approach to tackling crime will focus on maximizing resources, increasing police presence in key areas, and fostering community engagement. One of my first actions will be to streamline the mayor’s office, cutting its increased size under this mayor and reallocating those resources directly to the police department. By doing this, we’ll increase funding for more officers and better equipment, reinforcing our commitment to safety without increasing the burden on taxpayers.

To address specific areas of concern, I’ll prioritize putting officers on foot and bike patrols in parks and downtown. A visible, approachable police presence will create a safer environment, deter potential criminal activity, and build positive relationships between officers and residents.

One complaint that seems to be growing is about congested traffic. Is there anything that can be done in the next four years to alleviate this problem?

Copenhaver: Traffic presents both challenges and opportunities, depending on your outlook. We’re working to keep commercial and commuter traffic out of neighborhoods, implementing traffic-calming measures on commonly used “cut-through” streets and collaborating daily with ArDOT to optimize signal timing and improve intersection efficiency. Alec Farmer has been an invaluable resource as highway commissioner and maintaining a strong partnership with Jonesboro’s future representative will be crucial when his term concludes.

Bryant: To address Jonesboro’s growing traffic congestion, I will focus on a multi-faceted approach that includes smart city planning, expanded trail infrastructure, and strategic partnerships for major roadway improvements.

First, promoting mixed-use developments close to residential areas will help alleviate traffic by reducing the need for people to drive long distances to access work, shops, and services. By creating more neighborhoods where people can walk or bike to nearby stores, schools, and workplaces, we can hopefully reduce daily automobile use and make our roads less congested.

In your opinion, what is the top problem facing the city? Please be specific.

Copenhaver: Growing pains. Jonesboro stands as the crown jewel of Northeast Arkansas—financially, medically, educationally, technologically and industrially. Our city is cleaner, safer, more populous and more prosperous than ever, thanks to the hard work of multiple municipal administrations. However, we must look ahead and start planning now for the next 20 years. This isn’t about vague visions; it’s about actionable strategies guided by expert input, such as our recently completed Parks Master Plan and the upcoming citywide Master Growth Plan.

There’s a long-standing joke that Jonesboro is the “city of plans,” but I’ve taken steps to change that by introducing a series of capital and operational investments to bring these plans to life.

Bryant: In my opinion, the top problem facing our city is crime, and addressing it is essential to creating a safe, clean, and enjoyable community for Jonesboro’s citizens. Reducing crime is the lynchpin to making Jonesboro a place where families feel secure, businesses can flourish, and residents will be proud to live. Without safety, our goals for improving quality of life, fostering economic growth, and enhancing community engagement become much harder to achieve.

My strategy to reduce crime involves increasing police presence, particularly in parks, neighborhoods, and downtown, through foot and bike patrols. I will also dramatically reduce the size of the Mayor’s office and invest those resources directly into our Police Department for the purpose of hiring more officers, improve training, and provide the latest technology for effective, proactive policing.

Is there anything you would have done differently during your first term as mayor/alderman?

Copenhaver: I wish I had been able to spend more time addressing some of the bureaucratic challenges that come with running a city. If we had known the pandemic was nearing its end sooner, we could have made certain investments earlier. Unfortunately, we were navigating uncertainty. As someone who is naturally a fast-paced go-getter, I’ve had to adjust to the deliberate pace of government. While it can feel slow, I’ve come to appreciate that this process exists for good reason—to ensure thoughtful decision-making and long-term success. We always look back and think about how we could have done things better, but if we spend too much time dwelling on the past, we’ll never be able to move forward. Looking ahead is where progress happens.

Bryant: Looking back over my seven years on Jonesboro’s City Council, it’s always easy to Monday-morning-quarterback previous decisions. However, I truly believe that at every step, I have made the best choices possible with the information I had at the time. In any role, especially one involving public service, one must continuously be learning and growing, as new challenges and perspectives emerge.