Arkadelphia city board taps Davis to serve, again

I SWEAR — Robert Davis, left, is sworn in to represent Ward 3 on the Arkadelphia City Board of Directors. | arkadelphian.com photo

By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com

The Arkadelphia City Board of Directors has a new kid on the block.

Well, sort of.

During a very brief meeting Tuesday, directors gave their unanimous nod to appoint Robert Davis as Ward 3 representative on the city board. The déjà vu decision marked the second time directors welcomed Davis aboard, as he was appointed in 2025 to represent Ward 4 until a “routine review” of board member information led to the discovery that Davis wasn’t living in the ward he was representing. Instead, Davis’s home was in the city’s Ward 3, which also had representation by a director not residing within its boundaries.

This summer, city administration asked for the immediate resignations of both Davis and then-Ward 3 Director Robin Jones, who resides in Ward 5. The city board then sought letters of interest to fill the two vacancies. It was noted at Tuesday’s meeting that, to date, no qualified Ward 4 resident has submitted a letter of interest to be considered for the position.

Davis, the lone applicant for the Ward 3 position, addressed directors before the sitting directors held an executive session that lasted three minutes, returning with a unanimous vote to re-appoint Davis to the table. He was sworn in by Clark County Judge Troy Tucker. 

Davis’s new term expires Dec. 21, 2028.

Robin Jones, whose resignation in August stemmed from the ward residency snafu, is now seeking election in November to the at-large position that represents the entire city limits. Roland Gosey, who currently holds that seat and is the board-elected assistant mayor, is not seeking re-election.