Written by Samantha Holschbach<\/p>\n
Punctuated with tension, Tuesday’s Searcy city council meeting entailed the passage of Resolution 2003-18, which dismisses party affiliations from local elections.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“Based on what the council told me, the nonpartisanship resolution was initiated to remove politics from this process,”Mayor Belinda LaForce<\/a>said. “[Non-partisanship] is throughout 90 percent of Arkansas. It’s pretty much common practice.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The resolution, which passed with a 5-3 vote, calls for all candidates running for local office to register as non-partisan. AldermanSteve Sterling<\/a>originally proposed the measure under the belief that dissolving party affiliations would, in turn, dissolve some tension between aldermen. However, some aldermen believe the resolution inhibits their freedom of expression.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “It takes away our freedom,” aldermanCarl Nutter<\/a>said, who voted against the resolution along with aldermenDale Brewer<\/a>andJackie Liles<\/a>. “They took away our choice.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Nutter motioned to table the resolution for two months as a means of allowing the public to “express their desires” concerning the measure. Brewer seconded the motion, though it did not pass.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “I think it would be very appropriate to have a public hearing,” Brewer said. “[The resolution] affects everyone who votes.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mid-meeting, several representatives of the Public Facilities Board and Board of Adjustment had their appointments renewed: Ben Berry and John Simpson of the former organization, and Herb Bacon and Blake Holzhauer of the latter.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n A number of agenda items concerned the appropriation of money, including the issuance of capital improvement revenue bonds to finance renovations in Sears dormitory atHarding University<\/a>. The bonds will total between $4.5 and 5 million. Additionally, other financial resolutions, ordinances and grants were submitted or passed:<\/p>\n Amid the reading of the budget-adjustment ordinance, Nutter tried to amend the ordinance with an acceptance of theA&P tax<\/a>petition, as he did in a similar fashion at last month’s council meeting. LaForce dismissed Nutter’s request, stating, “Again, this subject matter does not pertain to this particular issue.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n