Six make their case to become Pine Bluff mayor

Editor’s note: This is the first of a four-part series on a forum involving candidates for the March 5 primary.

Six mayoral candidates running on the Democratic ticket for the March primary election participated in the candidate forum on Tuesday morning hosted by Deltaplex radio at Southeast Arkansas College.

Charles Washington, State Rep. Vivian Flowers, Ward 4 council member Steven Mays Sr., Joni Alexander-Robinson, and Samuel Glover sat alongside incumbent Mayor Shirley Washington as each candidate took a turn answering an array of questions beginning with why they should run for mayor.

Mayor Washington discussed the improvements already made during her tenure, including the opening of Main Street, which was once blocked off due to the dire conditions of the buildings and construction of the new library on Main Street. Washington is running for a third four-year term.

“We sponsored a one-and-a-half-million-dollar youth engagement program that engages our cities, our students throughout the city,” said Washington. “I’m running because we’ve made so many improvements that included a remodel of the Merrill [now Pine Bluff] Community Center. Now it’s like a new state-of-the-art facility.

Washington expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve and said she is working on retail recruitment.

Motivated by love for the city and public service experience, Flowers said she aims to solve longstanding problems and expand resources.

“I’m running because I love Pine Bluff, because I am a public servant, because I have the experience to take us as a city to the next level in a way that can help solve problems that have been lingering for years and decades,” Flowers said. She also spoke about her resources and relationships.

Flowers introduced herself and her qualifications, including possessing a wide range of experience and connections across local, state, and federal levels.

“I served in the Arkansas House of Representatives representing a large portion of Pine Bluff and now other areas of Jefferson County for nearly a decade,” she said. “Before that, I served on the Arkansas Health Commission and I worked for the Legislature and I understood the legislative process.”

Glover said Pine Bluff could not afford to stay in the same place and do the same things over and over. Emphasizing the need for change and progress in the city, Glover expressed his determination to fight for the city’s future and its people.

“I’m running for mayor because I have to fight for the future of our city, of our children … of our culture,” he said. “We have to create hope and stability in the development of our community and generations to come.”

Aspiring to be a bridge of wisdom and enthusiasm for future generations, Glover spoke about empowering individuals to use their abilities for positive impact. “It takes a leader with courage and conviction to ignite and blaze a path into a more prosperous and brighter future for all Pine Bluffians,” he said.

Mays said he reaches all wards and he loves Pine Bluff. He said he has been working very hard to address the street repair issues.

“I focus on the issues,” he said. “Don’t focus on me; focus on the issue.”

Mays gave his word and said he would continue to build the city.

“We have to turn this city around,” he said.

Robinson said she is running for mayor to bridge the gap between citizens and the local government. She emphasized the importance of efficient City Hall operations and effective services for citizens, aiming to address those issues as mayor.

“Until we get our City Hall organized, until we make sure our departments are efficient, nothing else that we do in this city, because our government is the foundation, will work out the way that it is supposed to,” said Robinson,

Robinson listed her background in education, business, and city government, emphasizing the importance of historical context and understanding the current government structure for effective change.

“I was chief of staff to the mayor and I served on the Pine Bluff City Council. I know city government in and out,” she said. “You have to have that background. You have to be able to have the historical context to truly be able to make a change. I’m going to focus on the government that we already have.”

Charles Washington, a former Pine Bluff police officer who was labeled the “wild card” in the mayoral race at the forum, gave an officer’s perspective, reflecting on his decade-long experience in Pine Bluff.

“I got to meet a lot of citizens of Pine Bluff, sometimes in pleasant conditions, and sometimes in adverse conditions, but being out there on the street I learned a lot about so many problems and the root problem,” he said.

This firsthand knowledge is seen as an advantage by him. Addressing the population decline and its causes, such as drugs and crime, he proposed a new approach to policing that involves collaboration between the police and the community.

Elaborating more on her plans, Mayor Washington said she wanted to complete the many projects that she has already begun.

“One of those would be the 32-million-dollar flood mitigation money that has been awarded,” she said. Washington mentioned the housing development project with plans to build houses on a 27-acre property acquired by the city. The project will begin with the 12-acre phase and will include 60 units for senior citizens.

“We have not had the property to build affordable houses that our citizens need so much,” she said. “But now we have property acquisition. We purchased the 27-acre spot, the old Southeast School off Ohio Street.”

Washington wants to see all projects through to completion before leaving office.

Flowers explained why she was giving up her state representative seat, where she is a Democrat in a Republican-dominated Legislature to now run for mayor. Flowers, who has served for approximately 10 years relatively unopposed, said she decided to run for mayor because she saw the landscape and believed the city would end up where it is now.

“As I began the process of delving deeper into data around city policy and politics, I also discovered that we have lost 10,000 jobs and 10,000 people since 2010,” said Flowers, “even amid some of the development that we’ve seen.”

Flowers believes investment in youth and addressing crime, including violent crime and homicides, are crucial for the city’s future.

Flowers discussed her ability to pass legislation and work with Republican colleagues despite political differences. She highlighted her leadership roles and good relationships with colleagues, emphasizing the importance of working together and finding common ground.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was the analogy presented to Glover, who was asked why he was opposing Mayor Washington if he believed she was doing a good job. Glover expressed his support for Washington and her positive impact on the community.

“I’m not opposing her; I’m fighting for the future of Pine Bluff,” said Glover who said he supports all positive initiatives and organizations in the city.

Upholding the legacy of Pine Bluff, Glover spoke on the importance of securing the future of Pine Bluff for younger generations. He highlighted the need for safety, development, and collaboration to ensure equal prosperity while stressing the significance of continuing the momentum and building upon the legacies of previous mayors.

“The Honorable Shirley Washington has put a building block into place and so we uphold that legacy,” said Glover. “We don’t tear it down because it is a continuation of the greatness of Pine Bluff.”

It was brought to Mays’ attention during the forum that, as a senior council member who had three unsuccessful runs for mayor, if he lost he could resume his position as alderman. He was asked if he thought voters were trying to tell him to “stay in your lane and not venture out of it.”

“I’m a man of faith,” said Mays. “I know that I will eventually win. I have no doubt because the citizens are tired.”

Mays spoke about the potholes that could be fixed and his will to work to improve the city as a place to live for families. Mays said he is seeking to create a better environment for raising children.

“We got to get the right people in place,” he said. “Everybody just sat back who had the job in the city of Pine Bluff, most people … I want to lead city government.”

Alexander addressed the question dealing with the notion of becoming a powerful couple with her husband, Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson, if elected mayor. She emphasized that the city and county are separate governments with distinct roles and responsibilities.

“I do hope that in the future the question starts to become more about my platform and qualifications for this position,” she said.

Alexander’s response to concerns about her marriage and authority in her role was focused on her qualifications and the irrelevance of her marital status to her abilities. She explained the separate nature of city and county governments and the lack of criticism for other City Council members.

“I do not want you to judge me because I chose to become a wife,” she said. “I am qualified to be here and I kind of find it an honor that the only complaints that people have about me have nothing to do with my qualifications for the position.”

Pointing out a council member was married to the city clerk and two cousins were in the state Legislature and no one raised any concerns, Robinson requested to be treated similarly and judge her based on qualifications, not family connections.

Robinson said she believes the opposition is trying to tear her down because she is married.

“To the true people looking at what a mayor is, I know that they’re looking at based on what it should be and not something personal trying to tear me down because I chose to become married,” she said. “If we’re going to look so deep into who I’m with, do the same thing with everyone else at this table.”

Charles Washington was noted as having no government experience during the forum and was asked what he would do if elected.

“I’m a citizen of Pine Bluff and as a citizen of Pine Bluff, I’m very much aware of all the problems,” he said. “One of the problems is that we have not sat down and looked for innovative solutions to the problems.”

Addressing crime, Charles Washington said it doesn’t start on the streets, it begins at home and parents should not allow their children to get away with minor misbehavior.

“We know there’s a problem but there’s a different way to go about it,” he said.

Part 2 continues with more mayoral candidate questions, answers and closing statements.