Fort Smith Board again rejects placing form-of-government question on the November ballot

The Fort Smith Board of Directors for the second time rejected a resolution that would place a change-of-government question on the November general election ballot. The vote fell along similar lines as a May 19 vote on the same resolution.

Tuesday’s (July 7) board vote was called for by Directors Christina and George Catsavis. The two directors and Director Neal Martin voted for the resolution that would place the question on the November ballot. Directors Lee Kemp and Jarred Rego voted against it. Director Kevin Settle abstained. The measure fell short of the four votes needed for passage.

Prior to the vote, Director Christina Catsavis said voting to place the question on the November ballot is not a vote to change the city’s form of government, but is “only affirming the people’s right to choose.”

“So I encourage my fellow board members, please let’s pass this and get it on the ballot, and we can move on,” she said.

Catsavis told Talk Business & Politics she would not seek another board vote on the matter if Tuesday’s vote failed.

Rego said he understands the passion of those seeking a change of government, but doesn’t understand why they won’t “show their work.”

“What I can’t understand is why the leaders of the signature-gathering effort are hesitant to show their work and submit their signatures for review by the city clerk,” Rego said. “It’s needlessly divisive and sows the seeds of conspiracy to suggest that some sort of lawsuit or legal action is definitely going to take place.”

During a May 19 board meeting, Directors Christina Catsavis, George Catsavis, and Martin voted to place the question on the 2026 ballot. Directors Good, Lee Kemp, and Jarred Rego voted against it. Director Settle abstained, leaving the measure short of the four votes needed to pass.

The resolution was requested by a group of citizens seeking to change the city government from a council-manager form to a mayor-council. As of July 6, the petitioners have between 3,300 and 3,400 signatures toward the effort to change the form of government.

The group will have to submit 2,608 valid voter signatures by late July or early August to provide time for signature verification by Fort Smith City Clerk Sherri Gard. The deadline to submit a change-of-government proclamation to Sebastian County Clerk Sharon Brooks is Aug. 25.

In Fort Smith’s form of government, the city administrator is the CEO, managing an annual budget of more than $300 million and more than 1,000 city employees who provide safety, sanitation, water, sewer, and other key services to a city with a population of about 90,000. The city administrator is hired by the board of directors and can be fired at any time by the board.

Changing to a mayor-council form of government would place management responsibility with the mayor. Most large cities in Arkansas with a mayor-council government have at least one experienced city manager supporting the mayor in day-to-day operations. The mayor-council form of government would also include elections for city clerk, city attorney, and city treasurer, according to state law.

If voters approve a change of government in November 2026, elections for the new government would be held in November 2028. If voters reject a change of government, state law prevents the question from returning to voters for four years. Link here for more information about a change of government.