Mayor Frank Hash drew backlash earlier this week when his antique fire truck, decked with campaign signs promoting his bid for a third mayoral term, was parked downtown for approximately 24 hours.
The truck was parked on the street across from the Union County Courthouse on North Washington Avenue, just south of Elm.
The move was in clear violation of a city ordinance that sets a three-hour parking limit within the controlled downtown parking zone and for that violation, Hash was cited.
“I got the chalk mark on my tire. I got my ticket, and I paid it,” Hash said, noting that the receipt for the $10 parking ticket is available upon request from anyone who wants to see it.
For the past several weeks, the fire truck has been parked in high-visibility areas around town as Hash prepares for a primary election showdown with opponents Bill Luther and Sgt. Chris Lutman of the El Dorado Police Department.
Hash said he parked the truck on North Washington Sunday night, with the parking space flanked by traffic cones.
Hash admitted that he knowingly violated the city parking ordinance, and once he heard about complaints, he “dutifully removed the truck” as soon as he could: when he got off work after 5 p.m. Monday.
Early voting is under way for the May 22 primary, and Hash parked across from the early-voting polling site — the Union County Courthouse —, which raised more eyebrows about the matter.
In Arkansas, electioneering is prohibited within 100 feet of the main, exterior entrance of a polling place.
Hash, who had parked the truck in same spot for the same purpose during the 2014 election campaign season, said the truck was outside the 100-foot cutoff, and he discussed the matter then with the Union County Election Commission, as he did prior to parking the truck there again Sunday night.
“An ethics violation was not committed,” Hash said.
Some complaints that came into the News-Times pointed to moral questions and consideration of others.
Callers argued that the truck and traffic cones covered a larger area than a single parking space and blocked access to adjacent spaces.
Others noted that Hash was not ticketed until Monday afternoon and that he was “abusing his power.”
Still, others said Hash set a poor example as the city’s top elected official, especially just days after the council amended the downtown parking ordinance to enforce the three-hour parking limit for spaces that are designated for the disabled.
“I think it’s just a big stink over nothing,” Hash said. “I didn’t do it to aggravate anybody, and had I known all this would come from it, I wouldn’t have done it. It’s not worth the controversy.”
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com .