Seven candidates are formally running to become Fort Smith’s next mayor following Wednesday’s noon filing deadline. Current Mayor George McGill is not seeking reelection after eight years in office.
Mayoral Candidates
The mayoral candidates, listed alphabetically, are Fort Smith City Director Christina Catsavis, Nataylia Deer, Sara Harrison, Fort Smith City Director Lee Kemp, Shayne McKinney, Yvette Powers, and Daniel Williams.
According to Fort Smith City Clerk Sherri Gard, all candidate petitions have been verified. The winner of the nonpartisan race will serve a four-year term beginning in 2027.
McGill has spent nearly 50 years in public service and is completing his second term as mayor. He encouraged the candidates to remain focused on serving residents. “Public service is about service. Service to the people,” McGill said. “It’s about finding solutions to issues that are important to the residents. And it’s about bringing people together.”
Under Fort Smith’s current city administrator form of government, the mayor presides over meetings of the city’s board of directors. The mayor does not vote on issues but can veto a measure. The seven-member board can override a veto with a two-thirds majority, or five votes.
A candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election, according to Gard.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
