One Jacksonville council member is proposing a different governing model, hoping to change the board structure for the city.

JACKSONVILLE, Ark. — Most politics are local, but how local are they supposed to be? 

In Jacksonville, it doesn’t matter if the representative for your neighborhood or ward lives there, as Jacksonville follows the at-large voting system. Meaning that wards are not currently represented by someone within the boundaries.

“Although we have five wards, those wards that have two representatives per ward are not voted in by those wards, but instead are voted in by the entire city,” explained Dr. Trenika McCoy, the Jacksonville City Council representative for Ward 2, position 2.

That’s the current state of city elections in Jacksonville, and what McCoy has been working to change.

“The way that it’s currently set up, it’s an unfair approach to selecting those representatives for each of those wards. Those wards do not get or have a say in choosing their own representative. They’d like to see there be more of them having a say in who is chosen to represent them, who they want to see represent them when they go to the polls, and they vote on their representative,” described McCoy. “But then it comes back, and the data supports and shows that, because we’re at large, who they selected is not who actually is sitting in that seat.”

The hybrid model that McCoy has proposed would include one representative elected by the ward and one representative at large elected by the city. 

McCoy originally presented the ordinance for the change earlier in August for the council to decide, but instead of the council deciding, the council will now vote for the proposition to go on the ballot for the people of Jacksonville to decide.

“So it’s extremely important for that ward who knows their people, who connects well with that person, whomever they have decided, to best represent them. It’s important for them to have a say in there, for them to make that decision,” she said.

Currently, there is no city ordinance that dictates the voting system in the city. 

However, you might have found yourself wondering what’s next for the ordinance? 

McCoy said that if passed by the council, the decision will be in the hands of the voters.

“The next step now is to work on an ordinance, drafting one with the city attorney for it to be placed on the ballot,” she added.

Though the city is on a timeline because of a new state law, Act 283, which means there are some line limits that the city is facing.

“We could have made that decision by August 31, submitted an ordinance, and made sure it was to the county clerk by August 31 for us to then change how the seating structure is,” said McCoy. “But since that’s not the direction that we’re choosing to go, our next step is to actually place it on the ballot. So, a comprehensive ordinance that outlines what that looks like, what it means, and what the question will be. That’s the next step.”

McCoy said that this topic was brought up when she was running for council and that this conversation was an important one during her campaign. She also expressed that she wants to act on the conversations she had before her time in office.

“How would that be, if Texas, if Oklahoma, if Arizona, were choosing the representatives for Arkansas? Someone else that doesn’t live here is choosing our representatives. Would we be okay with that? If they say, oh, Arkansas, they’re not doing very well. We’re going to pick for them this time,” said McCoy. “We’re not going to let them choose their own representation. Will we fight that? Will we say, oh, that’s fine. We don’t need a voice. It’s about giving people back. It’s about giving people back their voice.”

McCoy is currently working on drafting an ordinance that would put the proposition on the ballot with the city’s attorney.