While many Arkansans can recite their elected officials – especially the “household names,” which usually includes the governor, senators and representatives in the U.S. Congress – positions frequently forgotten, but so often responsible for our day-to-day well-being, are our city mayors.
There are two types of mayoralty systems in the United States, council-manager and mayor-council.
In a council-manager system of local government, a mayor sits on the city council, often holding the chairperson position on that body. As with most city council members, mayors in this scenario usually only serve part-time and usually set the legislative agenda for the city they represent. Most of the full-time, day-to-day administration is left to the city manager.
Mayor-council systems feature separate branches for the mayor and city council, with the mayoralty holding executive privileges while the city council operates with legislative powers.
In an effort to shed some light on the work of several localized elected officials, AMP is profiling seven mayors from around the Natural State to watch.
by Dustin Jayroe and Jon Walker
Greg Hines
Greg Hines – Rogers
Mayor Greg Hines has served as the mayor of Rogers since 2010. It’s a job that many feel he was always destined to have. When he was a senior at Rogers High School, he was selected to be “mayor for a day.” Ever since that moment, Hines says that he knew he wanted to be the real mayor someday.
Along the way, Hines built up a track record of public service to prepare him for this dream role. He previously served as a Bentonville police officer and deputy investigator for the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. Soon after, he became the youngest person to ever be elected as city alderman for Rogers.
Hines would then spend 12 years on the city council, before finally reaching the pinnacle of success in his mind – mayor of Rogers.
One of the biggest focuses of his mayoral career has been supporting the growth of the downtown area.
“Rogers is my home, and downtown is the heart of the city. I wanted that heart to beat stronger,” Hines says.
As a part of this focus, Hines has directed the downtown master plan, Rogers Bike Park and Lake Atalanta redevelopment program.
Perhaps two of the most notable of accomplishments under Hines was in convincing two huge names with national prestige to buy into the city.
Earlier this year, Duluth Trading Company opened its doors on 27th Street, making it the first of its kind location in the state of Arkansas.
In 2020, Top Golf will open its first ever location in Arkansas in Rogers, right next to the Walmart AMP.
