The two candidates for Hermitage mayor in the Dec. 6 runoff election were sent questionnaires from Saline River Chronicle. Their answers are below.
Early voting starts Tuesday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Bradley County Clerk’s Office. It will run through Friday and on Monday, Dec. 5. The runoff election will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. with voting only at the Hermitage Community Center. You must be a registered voter living within the Hermitage city limits to vote.
Tonya C. Kendrix is the current mayor, with her first term starting on Jan. 1, 2019. She earned a master’s degree in the science of nursing with honors, a master’s degree in business administration with honors, certification in health care management with honors, all in 2014; bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2004; and an associate of arts degree in 2000.
She has served as an Arkansas Fair Housing commissioner from 2014 to current; chairwoman for Arkansas Fair Housing Commission from 2019 to current; Arkansas Municipal League Executive Committee, 2019 to current and newly elected in 2022; Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District board member; Bradley County Chamber of Commerce member; and Bradley County Economic Development Corp. member.
She is a Hermitage native and is a graduate of Hermitage High School. “I have lived in this great city all of my life. This is my home. Wherever I go or whomever I meet with across the United States, I proudly tell them about how wonderful our city is. I love my city so much that when invited to the White House, I spoke to President Trump’s administration about our city, its great people, its current needs and opportunities for economic development,” Kendrix said.
“Since taking office in 2019, we have made numerous advances and accomplishments in moving our city forward. Many that we have worked on and continue to work on moving forward include but are not limited to:
- “Interdepartmental improvements such as strengthening the Fire Department by adding a fire support team to aid and provide support to our firemen and other departments as they fight fires. I have increased the number of police officers to patrol, investigate cases and keep our city safe. Lastly, I have strengthened our City Hall staff by increasing the number of workers to help manage, facilitate and address the needs of the community, customers, grant administrators and others as we move forward. Additionally, I am seeking and applying for funds for new equipment and items needed for assisting our fire and police departments.
- “Street improvements. As mayor, I have applied for and received approval for $300,000 in street aid funding to improve streets in our city. For years, there have been problems with many areas, in particular Wanda Lane and the area of street leading to Hermitage Elementary School (West School Drive). With this street improvement project, Wanda Lane, West School Drive and many other streets will be overlayed, making driving safer.
- “Water and sewer system improvements. It is vitally important to invest monies in our infrastructure. In order for our city to move forward and continue to provide safe drinking water and proper handling of our waste water, improvements are necessary. Our sewer treatment plant is a natural but unique system. It is composed of levees and ponds which aid in the cleaning process of the wastewater. Nutria, feral hogs and beavers create challenges when it comes to keeping the integrity of the levees maintained. These animals dig and burrow into the levees. If the levees become breeched, not only will the system not work effectively but it also poses environmental risks that we are aiming to avoid. We have also applied for and received monies to expand our city sewer lines. The sewer expansion project monies are 100 percent grant funding. This project is important because the city system was not expanded out to all of it citizens. With this project, we are able to expand the system to customers on the north end of town. This grant also provides financial assistance for homeowners with low income so they can be connected to the system at no cost. Additionally, I am currently applying for over $1 million in funds to replace old water lines in the city which include main street and monies to improve the city’s 55,000-gallon elevated tank and 144,000-thousand-gallon standpipe water tank. This also includes telemetry and valves needed to localize water shut offs for repair to a specific part of the line instead of all or half of the city.
- “Community Outreach. As mayor, I have built an incredible list of partners who are dedicated to helping me in addressing the needs of the community. I absolutely love the people and want to see them being taken care of and helping those in need. I have reached out and sought others to bring services to our city, asking for donations from as many as I could so that my citizens and those around our city can be blessed. Once funding is received, I spend hours planning assuring that our community receives enough items to address their needs. I have applied for funding so that the people of Hermitage and Bradley County receive assistance with their Entergy bills, water bills, and have money in their pocket. I have driven across our state and into other states to make sure I could get what is needed in light of competing with other larger communities and companies. All of this because I love the people, I am aware of their struggle and I am determined to help. As mayor, I have acquired numerous resources for the people at no cost to the city. I work with an amazing group of volunteers that also share in my vision and work tirelessly to assist in helping families.
- “Healthcare needs. There are so many health care challenges people struggle with daily. As a nurse, I recognize such struggles and the importance of health care access. As mayor, I have partnered with many organizations including local health facilities to bring needed exams, vaccinations, and screenings to bring awareness and prevention to health issues. I have played a key role in the development of health initiatives such as a community walking group aimed to decrease stress, aid in weight loss, and improving health. I am currently seeking funding for a community walking trail.
- “Economic development/local business needs are also an area that I plan to continue working towards. As mayor, I have partnered with organizations to bring resources to help existing and future businesses start. As mayor, I travel to meet with and seek out possible opportunities for local businesses to be blessed and new businesses to come in. I have conducted community assessments to help determine what people want in the community which provide insight on where to start. I have brought in food trucks to bring additional food options to the city. I have partnered with local farmers to purchase produce so that they are guaranteed revenue and the people can have produce at no cost. I meet with local businesses who are seeking to improve or need assistance and connect them to resources so they can stay in operation and improve as desired. Moving forward, I plan to continue to work to bring as many resources to our businesses and community.
“Being mayor is not a job. It’s a commitment that requires love, compassion, patience, kindness, dedication, a listening ear and most of all guidance, grace and mercy from the Lord above. As mayor, I will continue to work hard to be a blessing to those here in the city, in Bradley County and the surrounding area,” Kendrix concluded.
Matthew Cathey is the challenger for the position. Cathey, 44, is married to Cristy Cathey and they have four children, Dylan, Colby, Hayden and Alli.
He has served for two years as the business manager at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Pine Bluff. This is his first attempt to run for political office.
He graduated from Hermitage High School in 1996. He has lived in Hermitage for the past eight years.
Of the city’s priorities, he said, “Number one should be the citizens of Hermitage and for me to have the ability to listen to their concerns and opinions. Another priority should be transparency, honesty and integrity from the mayor’s office.”
