Bentonville Seat To Be Decided Tuesday
Last updated Friday, November 21, 2008 7:29 PM CST in News
By Richard Dean Prudenti
THE MORNING NEWS
BENTONVILLE -- Candidates in a runoff election to represent Ward 4, Position 1 for the Bentonville City Council are asking residents for their votes.
James Dotson and Anita Zentner face each other in a runoff because neither candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote during the general election earlier this month.
Dotson received 3,852 votes (43 percent) and Zentner received 3,288 (36 percent). A third opponent, Clay J. Phillips, received 1,924 votes (21 percent).
"I've been knocking door to door, and some friends are helping me to canvass neighborhoods," Dotson said.
Dotson has concentrated campaign efforts in newer subdivisions where residents more likely have lived in Bentonville about as long as he has. Dotson has been a Bentonville resident for five years.
This, he said, might give him equal footing with residents and a better chance of gaining their votes.
"Longtime residents may be more familiar with my opponent's name than mine," Dotson said.
Zentner has been a Bentonville resident for 31 years. She also served on the Bentonville City Council for 14 years, 1989-2002. She took six years off after an unsuccessful run for mayor in 2002; Terry Coberly won the mayoral race that year.
Rather than risk residents taking a "flip of the coin" approach in voting, Dotson hopes to win over residents by meeting them personally.
He said he wants to serve on the council to help the city meet infrastructure, growth and development needs. "I'm very aware of what's going on. I think I have a pulse on Bentonville today," he said.
Dotson's also concerned about economic responsibility and public health and safety, he said.
Zentner said she again would like to serve on the council and represent the people.
"Being off the council for six years gives you a chance to sit back and listen and you get a different perspective," Zentner said. "That time away gave me a chance to re-evaluate how important being on the City Council is, how the decisions we make affect the people."
Zentner is concerned some who voted in the general election might not return to the polls to vote again.
"I understand. It's been a long election. People are tired of campaign signs and tired of the election. I'm trying to encourage people to go out and vote because that's the only way I'm going to win," she said.
She's been campaigning every day since the election in one form or another. She and a friend have mostly telephoned or e-mailed registered voters.
"I have done some door-to-door work. Basically whoever I see I campaign," Zentner said.
"A runoff is hard because you waited for the election to see if you won and then you have 18 more days to wait. Now it's a matter of how many each of us can go out and vote," she said.
She said she's not running against Dotson. After all, she doesn't know him and met him for the first time after the election.
"My focus isn't on him, but my focus is on wanting to serve the citizens of Bentonville. We are not really running against each other. We are running for the council seat."
The last day of early voting will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at the Benton County clerk's office, 215 E. Central Ave., or at the branch in downtown Rogers, 300 Poplar St. Polls will be open 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for the runoff.
Profile
Anita Zentner
Age: 61
Residence: Bentonville resident for 31 years
Occupation: Owner of Zentners Lawncare; nurse home caregiver
Education: Granada High School, Granada, Minn., 1965; licensed practical nurse certificate, Springdale Vocational Technical school in the late 1980s
Family: Husband, Dewey; three children
Political Experience: Bentonville City Council member for 14 years, 1989-2002; former chairwoman of the Advertising and Promotion Commission; city insurance committee; parks and recreation committee. Ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2002.
Source: Staff Report
Profile
James Dotson
Age: 30 years
Residence: Bentonville resident for 5 years
Occupation: Account executive for Northwest Arkansas Merchant Services
Education: Attended Carrollton Public Schools, Carrollton, Mo.; graduated as a home-school student, 1995
Family: Wife, Jennifer; two children
Political Experience: None
Source: Staff Report
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