Mayoral Candidate Q and A with Rick Koenig

1. What distinct professional experiences, personal values, and long-term vision set you apart as the best choice to serve as our next Mayor?

I have no experience in politics. The only experience that I can draw on is the time that I spent as chief of a rural volunteer fire department. A position that I held for 19 years. A long-term vision would be to build on what has been started in Stuttgart and continue working towards the betterment of our city.

2. What specific leadership experience and background do you have that is suited to managing the day-to-day operations of the City of Stuttgart government?

The only leadership experience that I have is from running the Slovak Volunteer Fire Department and volunteer work that I have done in the past.

3. The Mayor oversees the day-to-day operations and authorizes the spending of appropriated city funds. What core principles will guide your management of the annual city budget to ensure every dollar is used efficiently?

Make sure that the money that is spent through our city government is accounted for and that it is being spent wisely.

4. As Mayor, you will be responsible for hiring and leading city employees. What key qualities and leadership philosophy will you bring to managing city staff and appointing department heads?

Working with department heads and seeing exactly what their needs are and go from there.

5. As Mayor, you will preside over the City Council. How do you plan to build a productive relationship with the council members?

I would rely heavily on the city council until I got more familiar with the operations of the city. Most of the council members have been on the council for a long time and they are very knowledgeable of the city government.

6. While there has been a lot of infrastructure work done in the city over the last several years, there is still much to do. How do you plan to build on the work already done?

Work towards continuing the work that has been started in the city and work towards completing it in a timely manner.

7. Given the financial pressures facing rural governments, what are your thoughts on pursuing and using state and federal grants to fund essential projects without increasing the burden on local taxpayers?

State and Federal grants are essential for small communities in Arkansas and every other state to survive and hopefully prosper.

8. The executive duties of the Mayor include leading local disaster response and public safety coordination. How will you ensure our county remains fully prepared to handle emergencies and severe weather events?

I have been trained in Disaster Management from the time I spent with the fire department on both the county, state and federal levels. I can work with state and federal agencies in dealing with disasters. I also have past experience with law enforcement as well and I know what is needed there.

9. How do you propose to deal with the lack of affordable housing in Stuttgart? Many employer workers come from out of town to work here because they can’t afford to live here. Everyone “talks” about affordable housing, but the reality is that $1,000 a month to rent a two-bedroom house is not affordable to  the average minimum wage worker. Even a worker making $20 per hour can’t afford it. 

Affordable housing in Stuttgart has long been a problem. Not very many people can afford $1,200 or more for rent these days. I am not sure how I could make affordable housing a reality in Stuttgart. But I would do everything within my abilities to do what I could.