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Baxter Bulletin reporter Scott Liles has announced that he is seeking election as Mountain Home’s next City Clerk. He will appear as a candidate on the Nov. 8 general election ballot and hopes to succeed Brian Plumlee, who is not seeking re-election.
“After much prayer and thought, I’ve decided that my next step forward is serving as Mountain Home’s next City Clerk,” Liles said. “I am asking for everyone’s vote come Nov. 8.”
In his role as a newspaper reporter, Liles has covered a variety of city councils over the past 20 years. He has spent the last seven years living and working in Mountain Home, where one of his primary assignments was covering the City Council for The Bulletin.
Duties of the clerk’s office include publishing meeting agendas, taking notes at Council meetings, and writing up a summary of that meeting as the Council’s minutes. The clerk also writes ordinances, is the custodian of the city’s records and works in conjunction with the Mayor and City Council members.
“With an extensive background in all things city government, I feel I’m the perfect candidate to step in and hit the ground running on Jan. 1,” Liles said. “I have the in-depth training and institutional knowledge needed to make an immediate difference.”
Liles is originally from Searcy and graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Central Arkansas in 2000. In addition to his work with The Bulletin, he has been a reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Harrison Daily Times. His byline has appeared in newspapers throughout Arkansas.
“I have a deep love of Mountain Home, and want to continue to serve its residents,” he said. “The position of City Clerk lets me leverage my knowledge to better serve the city.”
Liles is a lifelong Republican and is registered as such with Voter Registration. For the past five years, he has served as a committeeman for the Baxter County Republican Committee, helping decide party matters at the local level. In June he began another two-year term as committeeman.
Liles is the son of Kenneth Liles and the late Sue Liles of Searcy. As a child, Liles grew up around governmental operations, with his mother serving as White County’s tax collector for 16 years. She began working as a deputy collector in 1984 and was first elected collector in 2002.
Following her retirement in 2018, Sue Liles continued to serve White County as a Justice of the Peace and served in that position until her death earlier this year. Kenneth and Sue Liles also served the White County Republican Committee as that county’s state committeeman and committee woman, helping set policy and lead the party at the state level.
“Conservative principles are something that runs strong in my family, and I know the residents of Mountain Home feel much the same way. I want to take those values to the Clerk’s office and apply them in serving the people of Mountain Home.”
Liles may be contacted by email at [email protected] or by phone/text at (870) 421-0095.
