The homework · Water
I didn't just call for one — I drafted the ordinance, and it reached the council floor. Here's what it does, why each piece is there, and the full text so you can read it yourself.
Why it exists
Helena-West Helena's water system has been through extended outages, has one of the highest water-loss rates anywhere — roughly three-quarters of our treated water never reaches a paying customer — and carries years of deferred maintenance. Today the same body that handles every other city issue also runs the utility.
The draft ordinance moves the water and sewer system under an independent, qualified, publicly accountable commission — the structure Arkansas law already provides for (A.C.A. § 14-234-301 et seq.) and that many cities use. It was written so that the system gets full-time professional attention, and so that the money you pay on a water bill stays in the water system.
The draft, in plain language
Five commissioners, each with a relevant degree or five-plus years of professional experience, who govern the system — and a professional General Manager they hire to run it day to day.
WhyOversight is a citizen's job; operations is a professional's. The board sets direction and holds the manager accountable — it doesn't fix pipes.
Commissioners are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the council, with staggered terms — so seats turn over gradually, across administrations. Removal is only for cause, by a two-thirds vote.
WhyThe water system outlives every election cycle. Its board should too — no mayor or council, present or future, should be able to stack it.
All water and sewer revenue goes into dedicated accounts, separate from the city's general fund. Transfers out are prohibited — with one narrow exception the commission may allow only after the system has been verifiably healthy for three straight years, and only by supermajority vote at a public meeting.
WhyEvery dollar you pay on a water bill should buy water service — maintenance, repairs, reserves — not plug holes elsewhere in the budget.
Water loss down to 15% within five years. Professional rate studies every five years. Thirty days' public notice and a hearing before any rate change. Reserves above the state minimum, so one bad year doesn't become a crisis.
Why"Do better" isn't a standard. Numbers and deadlines are — they give residents something to hold the commission to.
Monthly public meetings under the Freedom of Information Act. An annual independent audit filed with Arkansas Legislative Audit and presented to the council. An annual town hall. Finances, minutes, and rates posted publicly.
WhyTrust isn't declared — it's built by being watchable, year after year.
Where it stands
This draft reached the city council under the previous administration — and was never brought to a vote. That's the difference a seat makes: as a council member I can put it back on the agenda and ask every member to vote on the record about independent oversight of our water.
I'll keep fighting for it with the safeguards intact — the qualifications, the staggered terms, the fund separation. Those aren't fine print; they're the point.
And one commitment up front: if the council creates this commission, I will not serve on it. I wrote the qualifications; my job is to vet nominees against them — not to hold a seat.
Read it yourself
Eight pages, as delivered to the council: establishment, membership, rates and operations, financial management, transparency, and transition.
Open the draft ordinance (PDF)