Incumbent, Challenger Vie For Farmington Seat

Miley
Miley

Editor's note: The Enterprise-Leader will run articles on municipal candidates and municipal issues for the next month leading up to the Nov. 6 general election.

FARMINGTON -- A lifelong resident of Farmington and a relative newcomer are running for the four-year term to represent Ward 4, Position 2 seat on Farmington City Council.

Their race is the only Farmington race that will appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. The other incumbents do not have opponents for their positions.

While the two are seeking to represent Ward 4, all registered voters in the city of Farmington will have the opportunity to cast a vote for either of the candidates.

Shelly Parsley, 52, has served on the City Council for six years. She is a graduate of Farmington High School and her children graduated from Farmington schools. Parsley has lived all her life in Farmington.

Parsley was employed by J.B. Hunt for 20 years. She now is disabled and no longer able to work.

Philip Miley, 66, has lived in Farmington for 5 1/2 years, moving to Farmington from Jonesboro where he was treasurer and an elder at First Presbyterian Church.

Miley is retired with a background in financial management. He has a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Arkansas State University and passed the CPA exam in November 1974.

Since moving to Farmington, Miley has been involved with Valley View Estates Property Owners Association where he helped develop and organize the financial systems and covenant compliant systems for the association. He also was involved in the initial set up and restructuring of the community sewer system that services Valley View estates subdivisions and others in the area.

Parsley was active with her children's school activities while they were in school and assists with various city projects as needed.

The Enterprise-Leader asked the Farmington candidates to answer the following questions about running for office.

Question: Why are you running for this position?

Parsley: "To help my community, to make sure we have all the city services our growing town needs and to play for future growth."

Miley: "It seems that the current City Council is more interested in improvements made to the downtown areas of Farmington. While I agree that improvements to the appearance of the downtown area are important, I believe that improvements to residential areas are actually more important than the downtown area. As I drive around the Farmington area, I see homes that are well-developed and maintained and next to that home may be a residence that has not been maintained. This hurts the property values of the surrounding homes and makes that area undesirable for potential newcomers to our community.

"I am also interested in the development of the Farmington City Park. Farmington received a donation of land a couple of years ago that was to be used to improve and expand our city park. The City Council has plans to develop, but as I drive by the park area, I see no progress being made. I think that a good city park would be an attraction for more people wanting to move to our area. I would like to see the city develop paved walking/biking trail, a splash pad for the children, a disk golf course, a music pavilion, more shaded picnic areas, and an area for a small farmers market."

Question: What do you consider are some of your qualifications to serve as a City Council member?

Miley: "I have over 40 years' experience in financial management. I started my career working for a CPA firm specializing in audits of various companies. After many years in public accounting I left to work in private industry. I had careers in banking and other financial institutions, healthcare financial administration, and self-employment, working with small businesses to install and customize automated financial systems."

Parsley: "My past experience helps me know where the city is headed growth wise. I am a good listener and I listen to what the citizens tell me and can make good choices without taking political sides."

Question: Do you have ideas for local improvements that you think have not been discussed or considered publicly?

Parsley: "I would like to come up with ideas for our youth to have things to do, and places for family-friendly activities in our town. Also, look at some pet friendly projects. We just finished our strategic planning for the next 5-10 years and we have several projects that the city council will be prioritizing during the budget cycle for 2019."

Miley: "Yes. Providing the infrastructure for development of all residential areas zoned R-1. Community sewer systems have ultimately failed and can be an environmental hazard."

Question: What will be some of your goals if elected?

Miley: "I will work to ensure the city has proper City Ordinances in place to promote residential areas. I will work to see that the Ordinances are enforced by the City. This must be done to protect property values and to make Farmington a more attractive place to live and raise a family."

Parsley: "To make sure the Highway 170 project is on track and completed in a timely manner. The safety of that highway is important for the school traffic and residents that travel that road. To continue to make good financial decisions for the taxpayer dollars."

Question: Is there is any other information you would like to share about yourself as a candidate for elected office?

Parlsey: "I grew up in this town and have seen all the growth and many changes to our town and school. I am very proud the citizens of Farmington have allowed me to represent Ward 4 for the last 6 years. I keep an open mind and listen to all citizens and try to make the right choice based on what's best for the city. I have no agenda other than to keep Farmington the great city it is and to give back to my hometown. I make sure I do my homework and I am informed about the issues before the city council."

Miley: "I am retired and have the time to devote to the City. I have been married 47 years to my wife Sandra. We have two grown sons, Jasen and his wife Heather, who live in Fayetteville, and Jeff who lives in Ashville, N.C. We moved to Farmington in April 2013 after living in Jonesboro, Ark., for nearly 45 years. We moved to be closer to family and we looked all over NWA before choosing Farmington. We absolutely love it here. People are so nice and friendly. We could not have picked a better place to move.

"Farmington Ward 4 is mostly comprised of residents living in five major subdivisions south of Highway 62. I live in Valley View Estates, the largest of the five subdivisions. The other subdivisions are Twin Falls, MeadowSweet, Walnut Grove, and Saddle Brook. Although my opponent resides on the north side of Highway 62, I strongly believe the needs of Ward 4 can best be met by someone who lives in and can relate to the issues we have in the major subdivisions of Ward 4.

"I am an independent thinker and not swayed by political influence. I will study each issue that comes before the City Council and vote in the best interests of Farmington citizens."

General News on 10/10/2018