Moyer won't be on November ballot

One member of the Eureka Springs City Council who filed as a candidate for re-election won’t be appearing on the November ballot.

Rachael Moyer, who was unopposed in her bid to retain her Ward 1, Position 1 council seat in the Nov. 3 general election, will now have her fate in the hands of her fellow council members.

Moyer said at the council’s regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 10, that she was informed by Carroll County Clerk Connie Doss that her petition to appear on the November ballot fell three signatures short of the required number after it was determined that some names weren’t valid registered voters in Eureka Springs.

“After completing the petition process, turning in the required number of signatures, plus 25 percent, I did fall short three verified signatures to appear on the ballot for city council at the next election,” Moyer said.

Moyer said the invalid signatures were obtained during door-to-door meetings with residents in Ward 1.

“Over the past several weeks, I made a very deliberate and thoughtful effort to connect directly with residents throughout Ward 1 by going door-to-door to gain my signatures,” Moyer said. “These conversations were meaningful and reinforced my commitment to representing our community with attentiveness and accountability, and I am grateful to everyone who took the time to speak with me and who signed my petition in support.”

Moyer told her fellow council members that she reached out to the county clerk’s office and was told that during the verification process, more than 10 signatures were deemed ineligible because, although those individuals had been registered voters at one time, their registrations were no longer active due to a lack of recent voting activity.

Moyer said anyone who signed her petition should check the status of their voter registration before attempting to vote in November.

There will now be no candidates on the ballot for the Ward 1, Position 1 seat. How the seat gets filled after Moyer’s term ends on Dec. 31 will be up to the council, she said.

“This outcome is disappointing, but I respect the integrity and the process and the standards that govern it,” Moyer said. “As a current council member for Ward 1, I want you to know that I remain fully committed to serving with transparency, responsiveness and care through the end of my term.

“Running unopposed, the city does provide a mechanism, according to the county clerk, for appointment continuation in situations like this because I ran unopposed and I’m currently serving.

“I want to express my interest publicly in remaining on city council to serve through 2028.”

While Moyer won’t be on the ballot, council members Susane Gruning (Ward 1, Position 2), David Avanzino (Ward 2, Position 1) and Terry McClung (Ward 3, Position 1) are unopposed candidates for re-election.

Harry Meyer, who holds the Ward 3, Position 2 seat, is being challenged by Shira Fouste, chair of the City Advertising and Promotion Commission.

Meanwhile, Peter Graham, who sits on the city’s Historic District Commission, is running unopposed for the Ward 2, Position 2 seat currently held by Steve Holifield.

Holifield and Susan Harman, a former council member and current member of the Planning Commission/Board of Zoning Adjustment, are challenging Mayor Butch Berry’s bid for a fourth term.

The only other local race that will be on the ballot is for clerk-treasurer, with Michael Carey facing Aaron Borey, a member of the city’s Parks Commission.