BENTON COUNTY — Tim Henderson, Sr., of Gentry announced his bid for Benton County Judge on Friday.
“I feel like there needs to be someone with a little different approach to step in, someone with a little common sense and just a common person to step in and do the job,” Henderson, a Republican, said of his decision to run.
Henderson said he was a justice of the peace during the early 1990s when Bruce Rutherford was county judge.
“Looking back on it, I really enjoy publicservice, and I want to get back into it,” Henderson said.
“Plus, I am too old and out of shape to go into the Army,” Henderson joked.
Henderson outlined some of his goals during his announcement on the steps on the Benton County Courthouse.
One goal is to develop and execute a plan to repair or replace closed county bridges, including the Fisher Ford Road bridge and the Colonel Meyers Road bridge.
“Every citizen of Benton County deserves to have adequate access to a police, fire and ambulance service that is able to respond in a timely fashion and, thus, this is paramount,” Henderson said.
Henderson said he would like to develop a measurement system to monitor all county assets to make sure they are being used efficiently. He also would like to improve county roads and support rural fire departments by upgrading equipment.
“All of these areas will require a great deal of cooperation, creativity and dedication from all elected officials in the county in order to be accomplished. Above all, they must be accomplished within the constraints of our budget and the confines of the law,” Henderson said.
Henderson works for Ozark Mountain Poultry in Rogers. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater with a degree in agriculture.
Henderson will likely face County Judge Dave Bisbee for the Republican nomination.
Bisbee said it is good to have competition.
“It is good for the public,” Bisbee said Friday, noting his own announcement for the position will come soon. “I am certainly going to run, but I am going to wait for a better environment before I formally announce.”
When asked what he meant by a better environment, Bisbee said “This is not a good time to talk politics.”
Community, Pages 3 on 01/20/2010