Candidates congratulate Villines after Benton City Council announces their pick to fill the vacant seat.
UPDATE, DEC 19, 2024
After several interviews Thursday evening, Benton officials chose Trevor Villines to fill a vacant seat on the City Council. Shane Knight previously held the seat for Ward 4 Position 2. Knight moved to a residence outside of Benton to focus on his duties as President/CEO of the Greatest Bryant Chamber of Commerce.
Read more about the interview and see more photos below.
There was an application period for the Council position, and nine candidates were originally scheduled to interview on December 19th, 2024. Three candidates dropped out for various reasons before the evening of the interviews.
The six remaining candidates were interviewed separately, in the following order: Josh Mesker, Ken Slocum III, James Hatchett, Bruce Armstrong, Villines, and Jordan Abels. They were each allowed 15 minutes to interview with the council in an open meeting. All six candidates were asked the same questions.
The Council, along with Mayor Tom Farmer, then took a break and went into executive session (private session) to deliberate. Council members were Frank Baptist, Steve Brown, Ann Spencer-Cole, Evelyn Reed, Bill Donnor, Jeff Morrow, Judd Hart, Steve Lee, and Jeff Hamm.
All of the interviewees waited in the lobby, chatting during that deliberation. The Council Members and Mayor returned several minutes later and resumed the public portion of the meeting.
At that time, Council Member Judd Hart made a motion, nominating Villines to fill the seat. Several Council Members seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken by City Clerk Cindy Stracener, and the vote was unanimous.
The newest Council Member had begun his interview on a strong note, shaking the hands of Council members and others present. Midway through the interview, there was a hiccup, with the microphone for Villines needing to be changed twice, due to technical difficulties.
Villines noted during the process that he might be the youngest to apply for the position, at age 27. However, he quoted 1 Timothy 4:12 saying “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
Villines also stated that he has a multitude of experience. He served as the President of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council while in high school. He then worked for Central Arkansas Planning and Development District, working around the state in project management during the COVID-19 pandemic. His current position is with the Saline County Judge’s Office, as the Communications Director for the County.
“I am truly honored to have been selected to serve the citizens of Benton,” stated Villines. “I look forward to collaborating with the entire Council, the Mayor, and our community to ensure Benton remains a great place to live, work, and play!”
Fellow candidate Josh Mesker, a former Saline County Justice of the Peace stated, “Trevor is a respected member of our Saline County community and will serve Benton honorably on the city council. As a resident of Ward 4, I know that I can go to Trevor with any questions or concerns and he will address them head on. Families and businesses can trust him to be their voice and get the job done.”
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PREVIOUSLY, DEC 18, 2024
Pictured above are the current Benton City Council members being sworn in, on January 2023: (l. to r.) Frank Baptist, Steve Brown, Ann Spencer-Cole, Evelyn Reed, Bill Donnor, Jeff Morrow, Judd Hart, Shane Knight (who is leaving), Steve Lee, and Jeff Hamm. They were all sworn in by Division Judge Josh Farmer (at left).
The City of Benton held open applications to fill a City Council seat. The Ward 4, Position 2 seat will be available immediately, due to Shane Knight’s move to a residence outside the city limits of Benton. On Thursday night, the City will hold a Special Meeting to interview candidates.
See the list of candidate names & more below. 👇
Click to enlarge image. See Ward 4 in the orange highlight. For a list of all current City Council Members and their corresponding Wards, visit https://www.bentonar.org/city-council.
The goal is to choose someone for the job that evening. The City of Benton will hold a special called council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 19, 2024, to interview candidates. This will take place at Benton Municipal Complex, 114 S East Street, Benton, AR. The agenda and candidate names are below. 👇
SPECIAL CALLED COUNCIL MEETING
I. Call to Order – Mayor Tom Farmer
II. Invocation – Mayor Tom Farmer
III. Pledge – Council Member Donnor
IV. Interview Candidates
(EDIT – SOME CANDIDATES DROPPED OUT SO THE ORDER WAS CHANGED FROM THE SCHEDULE BELOW)
5:35 PM – Interview 1 – Steve Tracy
5:50 PM – Interview 2 – Ken Slocum III
6:05 PM – Interview 3 – James Hatchett
6:20 PM – Interview 4 – Abby Eades
6:35 PM – Interview 5 – Bruce Armstrong
6:50 PM – 10 Minute Break
7:00 PM – Interview 6 – Jordan Abels
7:15 PM – Interview 7 – Trevor Villines
7:30 PM – Interview 8 – Josh Mesker
7:45 PM – Interview 9 – Don Strickland
V. Closed Session
8:00 PM – Council goes into executive session, then re-opens meeting to select candidate.
VI. Ward 4 Position 2 selection
VII. Adjourn
Browse more events below or see the full list of events at www.mysaline.com/events.
