Title 14, Local Government

(a) (1) Each municipality operating under a charter shall have the authority to exercise all powers relating to municipal affairs.(2) This grant of authority shall not be deemed to limit or restrict the powers of the General Assembly in matters of state affairs, nor shall this su…

(a) The governing body of each municipality operating under a charter shall prepare, approve, and publish, not less than sixty (60) days in advance of the annual municipal general election, a proposed budget of operational expenditures of the municipality for the forthcoming year…

(a) In all elections provided for in this subchapter, the results of the vote shall be certified immediately after the election by the county board of election commissioners to the mayor. (b) The certified results shall become final and conclusive if they are not attacked in the …

The expenses of the elections provided by this subchapter shall be borne by the municipality concerned.

By amendment to the charter, a date may be fixed for the expiration of the charter. On the date specified, the municipality shall cease to operate under this subchapter.

(a) Municipal elections in 1965 and all odd years in the future are abolished. (b) It is the purpose of this section to elect municipal officials at the regular general election for the election of state and county officials.

In all general elections held in cities of the first class and second class and incorporated towns for the election of officials of these municipalities, no ballots shall be counted for any person whose name is written in thereon. Only votes cast for the regularly nominated, or o…

In cities of the first class, all officers to be elected shall be elected at the regular general election for municipal corporations.

(a) (1) (A) In the general election in the year 1960, and every four (4) years thereafter, cities of the first class that have a population of fifty thousand (50,000) persons or more, according to the latest federal decennial census or special federal census, and that also have t…

(a) (1) A mayor of a city of the first class having a mayor-council form of government shall be elected:(A) By a majority vote of the qualified electors of the city; or(B) In accordance with § 7-5-106.(2) This section does not apply to a city of the first class with a city manage…

(a) The qualified voters of cities of the first class having a population of less than fifty thousand (50,000) and having the mayor-council form of government, on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of 1970 and every four (4) years thereafter, shall elect a mayor f…

(a) (1) Candidates for the office of council member in cities of the first class shall reside in the ward from which they seek to be elected and shall run at large.(2) (A) All of the qualified electors of these cities shall be entitled to vote in the election.(B) (i) (a) Except a…

(a) (1) In all primaries held in any city of the first class by any organized political party, the candidates for nomination for the office of council member shall reside in their respective wards.(2) All qualified electors residing in these cities and entitled to vote in the pri…

(a) (1) In all general elections for council members in cities of the first class, the council members so elected shall reside in their respective wards, as provided by law.(2) All qualified electors residing in these cities may vote at their several voting precincts for each cou…

If any duly elected council member shall cease to reside in the ward from which he or she was elected, that person shall be disqualified to hold the office and a vacancy shall exist which shall be filled under § 14-42-103.

(a) (1) (A) City councils in cities of the first class may redistrict the wards in their city when they determine that the people can best be served by adding wards, combining wards, or changing ward boundary lines to equalize the population in the various wards.(B) The city coun…

(a) (1) On the Tuesday following the first Monday in November 1966 and every two (2) years thereafter, the qualified voters of all cities of the first class having the mayor-council form of government with fewer than fifty thousand (50,000) inhabitants shall elect two (2) council…

The city clerks and the city attorneys in cities of the first class shall give the bond, perform the duties, and receive such salary as is prescribed by ordinance in each of these cities.

(a) (1) The city attorney in any city of this state having a mayor-council form of government and having a population of fifty thousand (50,000) or more inhabitants shall be elected by the qualified electors of the city in the same manner as other municipal officials are elected.…

(a) If not established by ordinance that the office of the city attorney will be appointed, the qualified voters of cities of the first class having a population of fewer than fifty thousand (50,000) and having the mayor-council form of government shall elect a city attorney for …

(a) (1) The qualified voters of cities of the first class having a population of fewer than fifty thousand (50,000) and having the mayor-council form of government shall elect on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November, 1962, and every four (4) years thereafter:(…

(a) (1) The mayor shall hold his or her office during the term for which he or she shall have been elected and until his or her successor shall have been elected and qualified.(2) The mayor shall keep an office at some convenient place in the city, to be provided by the city coun…

(a) (1) Each city of the first class having the mayor-council form of government may provide by ordinance for the election or appointment of its city treasurer.(2) (A) The city council may designate by ordinance or resolution the city clerk as “clerk-treasurer”, allowing one (1) …

(a) Each city council shall cause to be provided for its clerk's office a seal, in the center of which shall be the name of the city and around the margin the words “city clerk”. (b) The seal shall be affixed to all transcripts, orders, or certificates which it may be necessary o…

(a) Any city attorney of a city of the first class, subject to the provisions of this section, shall have the power to appoint one (1) or more deputies for whose official acts the officer appointing the deputy shall be responsible. (b) A deputy city attorney appointed pursuant to…

Any officer provided for in this subtitle, and by ordinance of any city under this subtitle, shall receive such salary as the council of any city may designate, and in no instance shall he or she receive an additional compensation by way of fees, fines, or perquisites.

(a) Any city of the first class, city of the second class, or incorporated town in the State of Arkansas may provide by ordinance that the city attorney of the city shall receive as part of his or her compensation, for all prosecutions tried by the city attorney for violations of…

(a) Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of council member in a city of the first class having a population of less than twenty thousand (20,000) according to the most recent federal decennial census, at the first regular meeting after the occurrence of the vacancy, the vacanc…

In case any office of an elected officer, except council members of the ward, becomes vacant before the expiration of the regular term, then the vacancy shall be filled under § 14-42-103.

(a) (1) The members of a governing body elected for each city or town shall annually in January assemble and organize the governing body.(2) (A) A majority of the whole number of members of a governing body constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.(B) (i) The governin…

(a) The city council shall possess all the legislative powers granted by this subtitle and other corporate powers of the city not prohibited in it or by some ordinance of the city council made in pursuance of the provisions of this subtitle and conferred on some officer of the ci…

(a) The mayor of the city shall be its chief executive officer and conservator of its peace. It shall be his or her special duty to cause the ordinances and regulations of the city to be faithfully and constantly obeyed. (b) The mayor shall:(1) Supervise the conduct of all the of…

(a) The city clerk in cities of the first class shall have the custody of all the laws and ordinances of the city and shall keep a regular and correct journal of the proceedings of the city council. (b) (1) (A) The city clerk, city clerk-treasurer, or city treasurer, as the case …

Treasurers in cities of the first class shall be required to make similar reports as prescribed in § 14-43-506 and shall perform such other duties as may be required by the ordinances of the city.

Collectors in cities of the first class shall be required to make similar reports as prescribed in § 14-43-506 and shall perform such other duties as may be required by the ordinances of the city.

In cities of the first class, all city officers whose terms of office are not prescribed, and whose powers and duties are not defined in this subtitle, or by bylaw or ordinance, shall perform such duties and exercise such powers, and continue in office two (2) years, unless soone…

(a) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Municipal affairs” means all matters and affairs of government germane to, affecting, or concerning the municipality or its government except the following, which are state affairs and subject to the general laws of the State of Arkansas:(A) Pu…

(a) A municipality is authorized to perform any function and exercise full legislative power in any and all matters of whatsoever nature pertaining to its municipal affairs, including, but not limited to, the power to tax. (b) The rule of decision known as “Dillon's Rule” is inap…

No municipality may declare any act a felony.

A municipality may not authorize gambling except as provided by state law.

No municipality may authorize the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages.

(a) No municipality shall levy any sales, which includes gross receipts or gross proceeds, use, payroll, or income tax other than those authorized by law. (b) No tax on alcoholic beverages shall be levied by a municipality other than those authorized by law.

(a) No municipality shall have the power to regulate prices for goods, rentals, or services sold or performed within the municipality by individuals or firms. (b) Nothing in this section shall prohibit municipalities from establishing prices for goods, rentals, or services furnis…

(1) The provisions of this subchapter shall not repeal, limit, modify, or affect any of the powers conferred upon municipalities to regulate, in the manner prescribed by law, the rates or charges to be made for services rendered in the municipality by any regulated public utility…

Nothing in this subchapter shall limit the power reserved to the General Assembly to specifically limit the exercise of any powers, functions, and authority granted in this subchapter.

Any city of the first class may sell, under such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, city property to any publicly supported postsecondary educational institution.