ALDERMAN SEATS OPEN IN FOUR WARDS

By Erin France/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

With contested alderman races in all four wards this election season, residents of Pine Bluff have another reason to head to the polls Tuesday.

Aldermen serve four-year terms on the Pine Bluff City Council, which creates legislation and forms the budget. There are two representatives from each ward on the council. The position pays $10,339.20 annually, with benefits.

In races where there are more than two candidates, there’s a possibility of a runoff. If neither candidate receives 50 percent, plus one vote in the election, a runoff could be held Nov. 25 between the two candidates who receive the most votes.

1st Ward

Irene Holcomb

In the 1st Ward, incumbent Irene Holcomb, co-owner of Henson Mortuary, is challenged by Danny Walker, a U.S. Postal Service employee, and Milton Jenkins, a minister and insurance agent.

Holcomb has served five terms as a 1st Ward representative. She states in her platform that in her sixth term, she would closely work with neighborhood watch groups on projects relating to personal safety, crime reduction and fire safety and prevention.

“I will continue to be a servant,” Holcomb said at a recent public forum. One specific goal she has mentioned is funding and expanding a summer youth work program, which had 100 participants in 2008.

Danny Walker

Walker worked for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the Pine Bluff Police Department before he became a letter carrier. He strongly supports staffing more patrols in the city, he said.

“What needs to happen is that we need to get funding and get some officers hired, and get some visibility,” Walker said.

Several times Walker has mentioned improving relations between city government and the Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County in order to bring in more businesses and address the concerns of current Pine Bluff businesses.

Milton Jenkins

Jenkins’ platform includes goals he hopes to achieve in the spiritual and economic growth of residents.

“I have been and will continue to work to unite 1st Ward residents,” he states in his campaign literature.

His platform also addresses public safety issues through strengthening Neighborhood Watch programs and promoting partnerships with the law enforcement community.

2nd Ward

Charles Boyd

In the 2nd Ward, incumbent Rev. Charles Boyd, the pastor at First Missionary Baptist Church, is challenged by Carl Ford, a subcontractor at the Pine Bluff Arsenal.

“I’m basically just going to try to focus on the same things as in the past,” Boyd said. He strongly supports economic development in the downtown area, and said he’s seen positive changes during his tenure as alderman. “I think it’s moving forward.”

Turning the Davis Hospital property into the proposed community center is another goal of Boyd’s. “In 2009 we should see some concrete things come together on it,” he said.

Carl Ford

Ford said he wants to increase the retention rate of Pine Bluff police officers through increased pay. “We’ve got to find the money to keep them here,” he said. Also important, is the economic need for employment, he said. “The first thing has got to be jobs.”

If employment is secured, the gravity of other problems in Pine Bluff may be lessened, Ford said. “We’ve got to get Pine Bluff back to the Pine Bluff of old.”

3rd Ward

Derwood Smith

In the 3rd Ward, incumbent Derwood Smith, retired after selling his Exxon service station, faces Glen Brown, the Jefferson County justice of the peace for District 9, and Ronnie Reynolds, a security guard at the Pine Bluff Arsenal.

Smith has spent two terms as 3rd Ward alderman and said he will push for the police department to move to Sam Taylor School where they will be better able to operate and serve residents. “They need a place and they need it bad,” he said.

He said he would encourage repairing, demolishing or boarding up vacant houses in the 3rd Ward and citywide, as well as other resolutions that would help keep the city clean.

Glen Brown

Brown, who also works as a barber at B&S Barber Shop, said he would like to see Pine Bluff residents bring business to the area with their enthusiasm and incentives. He would also focus on improving recreational opportunities and reducing crime, he said.

His record as a countywide public servant would follow him into the city office, Brown said. The status quo is no longer acceptable, he said. “It’s just time for things to change.”

Ronnie Reynolds

Reynolds said he is interested in encouraging Neighborhood Watch programs for public safety. “We’ve gotten to the point where we don’t do that anymore,” said Reynolds, who is also a Watson Chapel School Board member.

He wants to clean up drugs and crime in the 3rd Ward through efficient devices, Reynolds said. “I believe I’m the most qualified candidate for the job because I’m honest, dependable and willing to meet and fulfill all necessary requests from residents of the ward,” he stated in a news release.

4th Ward

George Stepps

In Ward 4, incumbent George Stepps, a district tax manager, faces Steven Mays, president of the Family Community Development Corp., and Clarence Davis, who works with credit concerns.

Stepps is passionate about housing 4th Ward residents and has said he will continue to focus on the issue into his next term.

“We’ve got to let them know, ‘You can own a home’,” said Stepps, also a member of the Dollarway School Board.

He is concerned about other pocketbook issues and has publicly stated his push for competitive pay in Pine Bluff. “We ought to have some equity in these jobs,” he said.

Steven Mays

Mays is running on a ticket focused on bettering the 4th Ward. “If the 4th Ward would be balanced, the rest of the city would get on track,” he said. “I can guarantee a change within my first year.”

He has advocated for building sidewalks, as well as enhancing the quality of life and taking down racial barriers through improved communication among local entities and community members.

Clarence Davis

Davis also would approve of more city sidewalks and street lights, he said. “There are a lot of dark streets,” he said. “We’ve got to start somewhere.”

His time as 4th Ward alderman would be spent helping residents with their needs and concerns, Davis said. “I submit to you today a true heart of service,” he said at a recent public forum.

On Tuesday night, The Commercial will have election results throughout the evening on the Web site at www.pbcommercial.com.