FC Mayoral candidates share goals to lead city

Candidates seeking the
Forrest City mayor’s position in
November shared their goals for
moving the city forward during a
forum held last week at the Civic
Center.
Cedric Williams, Kendall
Pettus and Lowry Astin were
asked numerous questions
regarding their plans for
improving the city’s appearance
and infrastructure.
Candidate D’Mari Curne was
unable to attend due to illness.
The forum was hosted by the
Times-Herald. Pastor Allen
Calvert served as moderator. The
panelists were Angela Wilburn,
Matt Vaccaro and Larry Freeman.
The candidates agreed that
the city’s water and sewer
infrastructure, along with lighting
at the Interstate 40 cloverleaf, are
at the tops of their priorities but
admitted that those
improvements cannot be made
without additional funding and
support from the community.
Astin is a Forrest City native
and a retired Arkansas State
Police Trooper.
“Forrest City is moving and it
can be moved in the right
direction with all of us together,
but we have to work together,”
said Astin. “Then, we have to
dedicate ourselves to the
mission, and when we do that,
we can complete the mission.”
Williams previously served as
mayor from 2019 through 2022,
which included the Covid
pandemic.
“I’ve served, I’ve learned, I’ve
listened and I’ve stayed
engaged,” said Williams. “We
faced some challenges when I
was mayor but we also produced
some serious results. We
introduced the ShotSpotter
technology to the police
department, removed
dilapidated structures and
obtained a grant of $3.2 million
for the wastewater system.
Williams also said grants were
secured for improvements to
Stuart Springs Park and Beech
Grove Park.
“I’ve developed relationships
at the state, local and federal
levels,” he continued. “It’s not
about what I’ve done in the past,
but what’s next. I agree we need
more accountability in the public
works department, we need to
take care of the Cloverleaf and we
need to remove more dilapidated
structures.”
Pettus, a lifelong resident of
Forrest City, said he and his wife
continue to live here along with
their children and grandchildren.
“We have invested our lives
into this community. I currently
serve as code enforcement officer
and we have completed nearly 50
demolitions of dilapidated
structures in the past year and a
half,” said Pettus. “There’s not a
day that goes by that I don’t drive
across this city and see things
that need to be done.”
Pettus said Forrest City and its
citizens are a team and should
work together as such.
“What we’ve been doing is not
working. I’ve seen a lot of times
that when decisions need to be
made, we can’t make one. We’re
all on the same team, folks,” said
Pettus.
“We can change Forrest City
together, but we can’t do it
divided. I have a master plan that
extends far beyond a four-year,
eight-year term,” said Pettus. “We
have to look 25 years down the
road.”
The candidates were asked to
outline their goals for their first
year in office.
Astin said he would work to
recruit industries, recruit
businesses and “clean up this
town because we have to have
enough individuals to fill those
seats when businesses do come
knocking.”
Williams said he would work
to see that a pair of projects that
were included in a bond issue approved by voters in 2021 bond
are completed, such as the
widening of Deaderick Road and a
water softener.
“By widening Deaderick Road, it
opens up our interstate for
businesses and development,” he
said. “It’s no secret we have got to
clean up Forrest City. I have a
strategic plan to take care of the
Cloverleaf from a long-term
standpoint. We need help from the
state and federal levels to develop a
strategy for short-term and long
term fixes to our water
infrastructure.”
Pettus said Forrest City needs to
create a safe environment so
people will be encouraged to stop
here.
“We’ve got to clean up our city
and our front door so it is attractive
to visitors,” said Pettus. “Our police
need more equipment and more
manpower. Everything we want to
do takes more money that we can
generate off the interstate. If we
make all three interchanges look
more attractive we can take more
money out of other people’s
pockets instead of our own pockets
and generate what it’s going to take
to bring industries, businesses and
jobs to this community.”
The candidates agreed that
water leaks across the city have to
be addressed along with the aging
infrastructure.
Williams said it is important that
Forrest City begins the work now in
order to attract people to move here
who may be working at industries
in other communities. He
particularly pointed to the Google
project in West Memphis, saying
that Forrest City can benefit from
that if city leaders begin preparing
now.
“We have to address our
housing system. I propose to have a
land bank and take control of that
and work with economic
developers to build housing in
Forrest City,” said Williams. “We can
pursue some suppliers who will be
doing business with Google and
maybe some of those will locate
here.”
Astin said that during his five
years of service on the FC City
Council he has a better
understanding of how the city
operates and what its needs are.
“Immediately, we need to
reevaluate our Sports Complex and
make sure our youth are involved
and establish some types of
programs where families are also
involved,” said Astin.
He said the police and fire
departments are each doing good
jobs.
“When people are going to
commit a crime, they don’t call the
police first. (Police Chief Ronald)
Broussard and his department are
doing a fine job. The fire
department has plenty of
equipment,” added Astin.
“The I-40 lights are very
important,” he continued. “Many
times I came across the top of that
Ridge and those pretty lights were
shining so brightly that you knew
you were in Forrest City. It’s a sight
to see when those lights are lit.”
Williams said the bond issue in
2021 provided $294,000 for the
Cloverleaf lighting and that money
was spent to replace the electrical
lines for the poles.
“The key is funding. We have to
get our Cloverleaf lit. We have to
have it attractable,” said Williams,
adding that he hopes he can
generate some partnership funds to
complete the project. “Forrest City
is key to the county, key to the state
in tax dollars. I’ve been visiting with
the A&P (Advertising and
Promotion Commission), the
Chamber and the county to get the
cloverleaf lit from a funding
standpoint. I’ve also visited with
private groups.”
Pettus said the new LED lighting
that was recently installed looks
good but there is much more work
to be done.
“We have an all or none
agreement with the Highway
Department. We can’t just fix part of
them. We have to fix every light or
we can’t fix none of them. We’re
going to have to come up with
some partnerships outside what we
already have to finish the job. There
are some interested parties willing
to do some work, but not all of it to
bring it to fruition,” said Pettus.
The candidates agreed they
would be open to working with
various organizations in the city,
developing programs for youth to
participate in city leadership and
work toward the common goal of
moving Forrest City forward.
The candidates said at this time
they are pleased with leadership in
current city departments, but
admitted they would review each
department, visit with directors and
work to ensure everyone has the
same goals.
“All department heads work at
the pleasure of the mayor. I don’t
see any particular immediate
changes, but will evaluate within
my first 90 days by visiting with
department heads and letting them
know my expectations. I will hold
them accountable. I will listen to
them on issues they have within
their departments and work with
the council to try and remedy those
problems,” said Williams.
“Pettus said he doesn’t foresee
making any changes in city
departments.
“I will not stand by and let the
department heads paddle their
own ship without my blessing.
Each department head will
understand what my expectations
are and if we can meet them. If not,
we’ll talk about what we can do to
make it come to life so all
departments can work together,”
said Pettus.
Astin said he was pleased when
Broussard became police chief in
Forrest City and doesn’t anticipate
making any changes in leadership
at either the police or fire
departments.
“To me, they do a fine job,” said
Astin.
During their closing comments,
each candidate shared why he
believes he is the best person to
lead the city.
“I’ve been a public servant for
many, many years. I may not be the
best public speaker there is, but
when it’s down and dirty, I’m with
you,” said Astin. “We have to roll up
our sleeves right now. It won’t take
long before we can roll our sleeves
back down and put our jackets
back on.”
“Think about record, readiness
and vision,” said Williams. “When I
talk about record, I have done the
job before. Yes, we need a cleaner
Forrest City and we need water
infrastructure. We need to involve
more young people and we need
more jobs. The next mayor can’t
concentrate on just one thing. He
needs a vision.
“I truly, truly believe our best
days in Forrest City are ahead of us.
I have served, I have learned and I
have listened. I made mistakes
under my first administration but I
have learned from them,” said
Williams.
“I want to be your next mayor.
We’ve heard the past, we’ve heard
the future and now the choice is up
to you. Do we want to move
forward with someone who is
engaged and can be major focused
without any outside responsibilities
that would hinder me from doing
the job 24 hours a day, seven days a
week?” asked Pettus. “I’m a man of
God first, I’m a man of faith. I’m
engaged in the community and I
want to engage with you and be
your mayor.”
Pettus said when he first
announced his candidacy he was
asked who he was running against.
“I’m not running against
anybody. I am running for Forest
City. I want to be your ears and your
mouthpiece,” he said.