Kevin Snow, Ward 2 candidate

Snow is a graduate of Blytheville High School, Arkansas Northeastern College (as MCCC), and Arkansas State University, as well as ABA's Lending School and the Mid-South School of Banking. He worked in banking for 11 years and has now been employed at Nucor-Yamato for 15 years, six as a credit analyst. He is a supporter of the Blytheville schools and athletic programs, a past member and president of the Lion's Club and Jaycees, serves as a volunteer on Blytheville Baseball/Softball Boosters, the softball commissioner, a coach and umpire. He has served on the board and committees at the Chamber of Commerce, and is currently serving his seventh year on the board of the Northeast Arkansas Federal Credit Union, the past two as chairman. He supports and volunteers for St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

On Blytheville's financial situation:

As we continue to work to repay the city's debts to the IRS and the county, we must hold people accountable and to keep departments within their budget so this does not happen again. We need to budget for unexpected expenses that always seem to come up so that we are better prepared to handle them.

On crime reduction and law enforcement:

Crime is a problem in every town -- especially since the economy is down and more people are out of work. We as citizens must support our law enforcement and courts and to be observant and watchful to report any and all illegal activities that occur around the city. Our police officers are dedicated to protecting the community but we need to be dedicated to help them do their job as well. If you see or hear something suspicious then you need to report it right away.

On the responsibilities of a city council representative:

The city council is responsible to and for all of the citizens of Blytheville and must represent them because that is who you are working for. You must be willing to put in the time and effort and work together. Each councilman needs to understand that he or she may not have all of the answers and some ideas may not work. Each councilman needs to be willing to listen to others and accept that their suggestion may not be the right decision for the city. Council members can't have personal agendas and not be willing to work together with the other council members and the city's administration.

Campaign statement:

My goal as a councilman is to do what is right for Blytheville and its citizens. We must work together to handle our business with the IRS and with the county fees that are owed. We need to better plan for shortfalls within budgets and keep from over extending ourselves. There are a lot of areas that the citizens have concerns for -- parks, streets, utilities and code enforcement that we need to address and take care of. The council needs to work together to help the city improve in all areas.