Mark  A.  Toth

My name is Mark Toth.  I am running for Hot Spring City Director, District One.  I want to explain why I want to represent you on the Hot Springs Board of Directors.

Your representative on the City Board should be your advocate, listening to your concerns and working on solutions to your problems. 

As your City Director my priorities will be:

Public Safety.  Our police do an admirable job.  Our police officers need to know the District One City Director has their back.  By way of contrast, our current City Director, Erin Holliday, recently wanted to deny our police officers a cost-of-living pay increase.  Fortunately, the six other members of the Board of Directors rejected Holliday’s proposal outright.  I will always be an advocate for our frontline city employees, including our police and firefighters who protect our community.

Improving public safety cannot rely solely on our police.  Park Avenue has shown one way to reduce crime: bring residents together to partner with police and nuisance abatement to close abandoned building used by squatters and crime-ridden properties.  In my own neighborhood,  we have brought residents together with city officials to promote neighborhood watch efforts and the installation of private homeowner security cameras, which can be used to identify and apprehend offenders.  These are models of community action that can be used throughout District One.

Seeing that our tax dollars are spent wisely.   I will vote “no” on sending City Directors on pointless taxpayer-funded junkets to Washington, D.C. and Japan.  I will vote “no” on expensive and redundant “studies” when the money should be spent here in Hot Springs improving our roads and parks and demolishing blighted buildings.  Our scarce tax dollars should be spent wisely for the benefit of City residents.

In contrast, financial records provided by the City show that current District One City Director Erin Holliday has traveled to Kansas City, Hanamaki, Japan and enjoyed eight overnight stays in Little Rock (in luxury hotels) at a cost to Hot Springs taxpayers of $10,697.09.  Holliday claims she needs to attend out-of-town workshops and meetings at taxpayer expense to “…better serve her hometown.”  There is a phrase for such travel: TAXPAYER-FUNDED JUNKETS.  I am the only candidate who has pledged not to take taxpayer-funded trips, whether to Washington, D.C., or Japan or Little Rock.

Protecting our residential neighborhoods.  Having been president of my neighborhood association for over a decade, I understand the role the zoning code plays in protecting our historic residential neighborhoods.  This starts by ensuring the zoning code places a priority on enhancing our community and harmful proposals are rejected, including the current proposal to allow mobile homes on any residential lot without restriction.  In District One's historic residential areas, such a rule would forever destroy the unique charm and makeup of these neighborhoods.

Likewise, there is currently a proposal to eliminate the off-street parking requirements for commercial developments.  One need only drive through downtown Hot Springs during a holiday, where the lack of parking clogs Central Avenue, to know this is a terrible proposal.

In my own neighborhood, we fought against a proposal to open a halfway house for forty-eight convicted felons next to one of our public parks.  And even though current District One Director Erin Holliday twice voted in favor of the halfway house project (against our loud protests), the zoning code supported our position and ultimately we prevailed and the project was rejected.  District One deserves a representative who listens to its residents, who understands the zoning code and who will reject harmful proposals.

Your City Director should be an active partner working with you and city staff to improve your neighborhood.  This includes simple things like ensuring neighborhood roads are placed on the city’s annual paving list and guaranteeing our police and fire departments are fully staffed.  But it also means tackling larger issues, such as funding improvements for our public parks, repairing neighborhood sidewalks and, when necessary, removing blighted structures.

Encouraging business development.  We need a strong economy to prosper.  While it is important to protect the residential communities, city government needs to play an active role in encouraging appropriate commercial developments along District One's arterial roads and in its business areas.  Tourism is our city’s largest revenue source and we need to work even harder to find and create more jobs for our residents.  We also need to put in place the infrastructure that allows people to telecommute and work from home.  In addition, by encouraging appropriate adaptive reuse of idled commercial structures, the city can promote businesses that enhance District One's economic vitality.

The theme of my campaign is 'Common Sense Leadership.'  As a member of three neighborhood associations, I know city government has a significant role in shaping our community, either for the good or the bad.   Effective and positive results start by working together to implement solutions that will make our neighborhoods and our city the best that they can be.

Thank you for your time.  And please know I would appreciate your vote.

Mark A. Toth

Candidate, Hot Springs Board of Directors, District One

Phone: (501) 802-4130

Email: markatoth@yahoo.com

P.O. Box 1661, Hot Springs, AR  71902-1661

Why I Support Mark Toth for 

Hot Springs City Director