VOTE411 Voter Guide

A city council member is one of eight people who set the rules and the budget for Bentonville. The council does not run the city day to day; that's the mayor's job. What the council does is pass ordinances, appropriate the city's money, set rates and fees, and make the final call on rezonings, annexations, code changes, and large-scale planning direction like the Future Land Use Plan. The councils influence on growth is upstream, in zoning and code standards and the infrastructure they choose to fund. To me, the biggest part of the job isn't formalized anywhere. Council members answer the phone, show up to events and connection points, and you carry what you hear back to the table to inform decisions and actions.

I'm a Certified Financial Planner™ and a principal and COO at HoganTaylor. Reading budgets, measuring investment returns against risks, and long-range financial projections is what I do all day. I've also put in volunteer hours with the city. I served on the Plan Bentonville Steering Committee, I currently serve on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, went through the Mayor's Community Council in 2025, just finished my term with the Rogers-Lowell Chamber Advisory board, and I was founding board chair of Leadership Benton County Alumni. The Plan Bentonville process taught me how zoning and land use actually work here. Anna and I are raising two kids in this town, so I have a personal stake in getting the next ten-thirty years right.

I want the city's finances explained in plain English, on a regular schedule, before decisions get made instead of after. Today, a resident who wants to understand our debt, our reserves, or what a project really costs over thirty years has to dig through an audit and a bond statement to find it. Most people don't have time for that. I'd push for a short, readable financial report tied to the budget cycle that lays out debt service, reserve levels, and what we've already committed to going forward. Additionally I want to proactively plan financially for a decade timeframe. Sound finances help our city today, tomorrow and the future. I want to be at the table helping create a better budget for Bentonville.

I currently serve on the Bentonville City Council. While I live in and represent Ward 1, the position is elected at-large, so I consider the impact of our decisions on the whole city. As an legislator, I work with the mayor and fellow Council Members to pass local laws, review and approve expenditures, and assist residents. Citizens count on us to ensure our city's health, safety, financial viability, and welfare. One of our most important roles is assisting with and approving the city's yearly budget. We strive to engage citizens and encourage feedback on our city's most pressing issues. This is a part-time, paid role which consists of two monthly City Council meetings, regular board meetings, budget meetings, and Committee of the Whole.

For 3.5 years I have served on the Bentonville City Council. That work, together with my background as a former teacher, a Realtor, and a small business owner, has prepared me to listen to residents, evaluate budgets and land-use decisions, and balance extraordinary growth while working to protect the quality of life in our neighborhoods. I also serve as an ex-officio member of the Public Art Advisory Board, Airport Advisory Board, and Active Transportation Advisory Board. Involvement with these boards gives me firsthand insight into arts, aviation, and mobility issues that affect the whole city. I especially enjoy the regular interaction with citizens who actively advocate for public policy in these areas.

My goal is to make it faster and simpler to build in Bentonville. Red tape drives up construction costs which are passed on to homebuyers and renters. Our citizens need attainable housing. We can eliminate bureaucracy that doesn't protect safety or neighborhoods. It is time to streamline permitting, and eliminate unnecessary rules. This does not mean weaker standards. It means less delay and less expense so more families can actually afford to live in our city. Together with staff, builders, and the rest of the Council, we can create a clean process that reduces the cost of building and living in Bentonville.