Lau wins Fort Smith Board post

Fort Smith Realtor Keith Lau, who ran a campaign promising to end micromanagement and against recent decisions to only partially automate Fort Smith trash collection, captured 50.81% of the vote in a municipal primary election to capture the Ward 1 position on the Fort Smith Board of Directors.

Lau received 344 votes (50.81%), Liz Berry Armstrong received 183 votes (27.03%) and former City Director Ken Pevehouse had 150 votes (22.16%).

Because there were three candidates in the Ward 1 race, a primary was required. City rule provide that the top two vote getters move on to the general election, or if a candidate captures more than 50% of the vote, that candidate is the winner.

City Director Steve Tyler, who now holds the Ward 1 post, did not seek a second, four-year term.

“I’m feeling great and ecstatic about this,” Lau said in a phone interview with The City Wire following the results. “I didn’t expect it or have a feel for how it was going to turn out. I’m kind of numb. I figured we would go to November.”

Lau said in previous interviews that the Fort Smith Board should be similar to boards in the business world in which they provide “big-picture” guidance “and don’t get down into the daily business.” He said the Board has micromanaged the city’s sanitation policy with the recent revision of service in the Park Hill East area, and has micromanaged the development of policies related to animal control.

Lau said he was anxious to move past the negativity that he has seen directed at the board in recent months.

“They all have big hearts and are doing what they feel is best for the city, but we need to move past the emotion and look at the bigger picture issues, stand on our decisions, and go on,” he said.

Regarding his opponents, Lau said, “Liz and Ken ran good campaigns. We all got out there and did our best. I wish them well. I’m sad for them, but happy for me.”

Armstrong, was one of several people to actively campaign against a city-proposed 1% prepared food tax that was eventually defeated by voters in November 2011. The special election had 62.71% of voters opposing the tax. The vote capped about three years of study on how best to fund the Fort Smith Convention Center that was expanded in the late 1990s. A 1% prepared food tax is estimated to raise about $1.8 million annually.

“No regrets,” Berry-Armstrong said. “I have no regrets and congratulate Keith. I wish there would have been more voter turnout overall.”

Pevehouse added, “All three of us offered our services, but only one could win. Congratulations to Keith.”

Pevehouse was elected to the Board in 1998 and was defeated by Dr. Cole Goodman in the 2002 election.

Following are the Fort Smith board races set for November.
Ward 2
City Director Andre Good (only candidate to file; no election required)

Ward 3
Matthew Garner
Mike Lorenz

Ward 4
City Director George Catsavis
John Cooley