Photo cutline: Caddo Valley Mayor Joe Jackson, right, congratulates Roger Ward with a handshake as Ward was voted by the council as an alderman.
By LESLIE R. KENT | arkadelphian.com
Roger E. Ward was chosen Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, to replace Paul Prajapati on the Caddo Valley City Council. Council members Stan Roberson, Joshua Owen and Marc Hanks, along with Mayor Joe Jackson, voted to choose Ward, who was at the meeting, over Cory Stover, who was not in attendance.
Applications from both men were provided to the council members, who, without discussion, nominated and unanimously approved Ward.
Councilman Prajapati, who represented Position One from Ward Three, notified city recorder/treasurer Debbie Roberson verbally prior to the August council meeting that an ongoing conflict on the day the council meets was preventing his attendance and prompted is resignation. His resignation was announced at the August city council meeting, and notice of the open position was posted at City Hall and on the city’s Facebook page and resulted in the two applications considered on Tuesday.
According to his application, Ward, a 1983 Arkadelphia High School graduate, was awarded a bachelors of science degree in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1992. Ward listed his employment from 2002 to date as insurance agent, partner and Vice President of Arkansas Best Insurance Corp. in Hot Springs.
Stover, also a graduate of Arkadelphia High School (1996), indicated on his application that he received a bachelors of arts degree in Sociology from Henderson State University in 2011 and has been employed with Welch Funeral Home as a funeral director since September 2019. He has also been employed as the chief deputy coroner for the Clark County Coroner’s office since 2019.
A second open seat on the city council, due to the recent death of sitting Alderman John Frazier, was announced by Mayor Jackson. The open position is Ward Two Position One. Applications and additional information on the boundaries of the open seat are available at Caddo Valley City Hall. According to Mayor Jackson, all applications received prior to the October Council Meeting will be considered, and a decision will be made at that time.