Registered voters in Arkadelphia and Caddo Valley will be able to cast an early ballot next week on the issue of merging the two cities.
Clark County Clerk Rhonda Cole said Wednesday that early voting will open Tuesday, July 7, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Early voting will be open then until Monday, July 13, at 4:30 p.m. The polls will be closed on weekends.
To place an early ballot, visit the county clerk’s office, located on the second floor of the Clark County Courthouse.
Absentee votes can also be placed by calling Cole’s office at 246-4491.
The issue of consolidation has received much heated debate between officials in both cities. While the Arkadelphia City Board of Directors voted unanimously in a special May meeting to adopt an ordinance in favor of consolidation, the Caddo Valley City Council passed a unanimous voice vote against the merger.
Caddo Valley citizens Byron Eubanks and Wayne Bear began circulating petitions in April, and Arkadelphia residents Dr. Ben Elrod and Mayor Chuck Hollingshead circulated petitions as well.
If the measure passes, the City of Caddo Valley will no longer be governed under a mayoral form of government. The city’s name will be changed to Arkadelphia and will be governed under Arkadelphia’s city manager form of government.
For more information regarding the consolidation issue, visit the Siftings’s Web site at www.siftingsherald.com and search for “Consolidation.”
For the measure to pass, a majority of votes must be in favor of consolidation in both cities. For example, if a majority of votes in Arkadelphia are against consolidation while the majority in Caddo Valley are in favor, the measure will fail. Likewise, if a majority of votes in Arkadelphia are for consolidation while the majority in Caddo Valley are against it, the measure will fail.
Regular voting will open Tuesday, July 14, at the Arkadelphia Recreation Center and at the Caddo Valley City Hall. Arkadelphia citizens must vote in Arkadelphia, and Caddo Valley citizens must vote in Caddo Valley.
Polls open at both locations at 7:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m.