Fort Smith, ARVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Fort Smith Mayor & Board of Directors Election 2026

2 of 7

council seats up

3 contests

14 candidates

Updated Oct 4, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

Director At-Large Position 5 · 1 seat

Director At-Large Position 6 · 1 seat

Every Fort Smith voter picks the mayor and one director each for at-large Positions 5 and 6. The mayor presides but does not vote, so two of the board's seven voting seats are on this ballot; Position 7 was filled without a contest, and the four ward seats are not up until 2028.

6 notes on these statements

Neal Martin was the only candidate to file for At-Large Position 7 and was declared elected without opposition, so his name is not on the November ballot. City of Fort Smith · Aug 5, 2026

Christina Catsavis, now the Position 5 director, is running for mayor, so Position 5 is open. Kevin Settle, the Position 6 director, is not seeking reelection, so Position 6 is open. Talk Business & Politics · Aug 5, 2026

Lee Kemp is the Ward 3 director (term ends December 2028) and is running for mayor. If he wins, the board could appoint a replacement or call a special election for Ward 3; if he loses, he told Talk Business he would keep his seat. Talk Business & Politics · Apr 16, 2026

Nataylia Deer said she was unable to attend the Sept. 24, 2026 KHBS mayoral debate; six of the seven mayoral candidates took part. KHBS 40/29 · Sep 24, 2026

Voters will also decide on the same ballot whether to change Fort Smith's form of government to mayor-council; see the issue summary above. 5NEWS

Christina Catsavis, Lee Kemp, Dan Williams, Lavon Morton, Casey Millspaugh and Brian Trumbly filed campaign finance reports with the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office. Talk Business & Politics · Sep 1, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

George CatsavisDirector, Ward 4 (Position 4); term ends December 20286sourcedAndré GoodDirector, Ward 2 (Position 2); term ends December 20285sourcedNeal MartinDirector, At-Large Position 7; elected without opposition in 2026, so not on the ballot; new term runs January 2027 through December 20307sourcedJarred RegoDirector, Ward 1 (Position 1); term ends December 20286sourced

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesChanging the form of government, Sewer consent decree and water costs, City budget and staffingKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

Get your Fort Smith ballot cheat-sheet

Candidates, positions and dates in one email, sent now.

One email now. We only email again if you ask. No ads, never sold.

Next date

Voter registration deadline

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Changing the form of government

Where it standsVoters decide Nov. 3, 2026 whether to move from the city administrator form to a mayor-council form; the board put the question on the ballot 7-0 in August after failing twice.

What's on the tableWinners take office January 1, 2027 under the current form, with a mayor who presides and does not vote; if voters approve the change, the new structure would replace them on January 1, 2029.

Sewer consent decree and water costs

Where it standsA federal judge approved an amended consent decree in July 2026, and the board pulled a proposed consent decree management contract from its Oct. 5 agenda.

What's on the tableThe next board and mayor decide how to pay for sewer repairs and a new water transmission line, and whether to hire a firm to manage the consent decree work.

City budget and staffing

Where it standsThe board approved 2026 operating budgets in December 2025 after about $16.9 million in cuts, including 71 vacant jobs.

What's on the tableThe next board decides future budgets, including whether to restore police and fire positions that were cut.

Homelessness and public camping

Where it standsThe board rejected a public sleeping ordinance 4-3 in December 2024, and was scheduled to consider an ordinance on transporting homeless people into the city on Aug. 18, 2026.

What's on the tableThe next board decides whether to try again on rules for sleeping and camping on public property.

Parrot Island waterslides

Where it standsThe board approved more than $2.415 million in slide contracts 4-3 on Mar. 17, 2026.

What's on the tableThe next board and mayor oversee the finished project and choose the waterpark's 2027 management.

  • The board initially voted to spend $2.1 million on the slides, expecting Sebastian County to match it; the Quorum Court voted against, and the board voted in September 2024 to cover the other $2.1 million. Talk Business & Politics · Mar 17, 2026
  • The board also voted 5-2 on Mar. 17, 2026 to extend the waterpark management contract with American Resort Management, with new proposals to be reviewed before the 2027 season. Talk Business & Politics · Mar 17, 2026

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Fort Smith switch from the city administrator form to a mayor-council form of government?

  2. 2. How should Fort Smith pay for the sewer consent decree and the water transmission line?

  3. 3. Should Fort Smith ban sleeping and camping on public property?

  4. 4. Should the city have paid to install new waterslides at Parrot Island Waterpark?

  5. 5. How should Fort Smith pay for higher police and firefighter pay?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): George Catsavis, André Good, Neal Martin, Jarred Rego2 on this ballot

7 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • The governing body is a mayor and seven directors: one director elected from each of four wards, and the mayor plus three at-large directors elected citywide. City of Fort Smith
  • Each elected official serves a four-year term; the mayor and at-large terms expire in December 2026, and the ward director terms in December 2028. City of Fort Smith
  • The mayor presides over Board meetings and does not vote on matters before the Board, but has veto authority over certain Board actions; five of the seven directors are needed to override a veto. City of Fort Smith · Sep 16, 2026
  • The Board hires the city administrator, sets the administrator's compensation and may terminate the administrator by majority vote; the administrator is the city's chief executive officer. City of Fort Smith · Sep 16, 2026
  • If no candidate gets a clear majority, a runoff between the top two is held on the first Tuesday in December. City of Fort Smith

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

Take your ballot with you

Who is on your ballot, where each candidate stands, and the dates that matter, in one email you can carry to the polls. Sent right now.

One email now. We only email again if you ask. No ads, never sold.

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.