Craig Robinson, top left, and Chris Johnson, right, will serve on the Arp City Council. Their names are on the ballot but they are unopposed. Terry Lowry faces incumbent Mayor Dennis Ford, who was unable to provide a headshot. (Contributed photos)

Arp residents will select a mayor in the May 4 election. Two unopposed council members are also on the ballot.

The Arp City Council is composed of a mayor and two council members, elected for two-year terms.

Terry Lowry and incumbent Dennis Ford are running for mayor, and Chris Johnson and Craig Robinson are set to fill the council seats.

Editor’s Note: Ford was unable to provide a headshot.

Mayor candidates

Dennis Ford

Incumbent mayoral candidate Ford, born in Kansas, has lived in Arp for 25 years. Before becoming mayor, he was a city council member for several years.

He graduated from Leesville High School and has a bachelor’s in economics and business administration from East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Mayor Ford said he feels blessed to have gained the educational background he has and contributes his more than 28 years of service with the state Department of Human Services as regional budget director toward his qualifications for the role of mayor.

He held executive stints as a business officer, planning and in educational services. Ford is familiar with grants, budgets and government contracts. In addition, his time as a certified contract manager for the Texas Comptroller’s Office and Adult Protective Services makes him uniquely qualified.

He previously held leadership roles as president of the Arp ISD Board of Trustees and as a Kiwanis Club president and lieutenant governor. He has also completed several management courses.

“I think I still have some more I can give back,” Ford said. “And we have a couple of big projects that (we) are in the middle (of).”

Those include a more than $7 million project to replace most of the city’s water lines and another to replace the water treatment plant. Ford expressed gratitude for the Texas Water Development Board grant opportunities to assist with the effort.

“Those are both pretty extensive grants,” Ford said. “We’re pretty happy about that.”

The Water Development Board is funding almost $6 million on the water project. The city has a $1.5 million loan with the board for the rest. The loan is interest-free and to be paid back over the next 30 years.

In addition to significant water and wastewater infrastructure projects, the City of Arp faces road maintenance challenges, with many streets needing entire replacements, Ford said.

“We’ve got a lot of streets that we need to do some work on, but with this water project and some of the sewer lines that we’re gonna need to replace, we don’t want to tear up the streets right now and replace them, and we just have to dig them back up when we go into the things we need to do with those other projects,” Ford said.

In recent years, the city has implemented changes, successfully funded grants through government agencies and desires to seek more federal funding opportunities to remain mindful of taxpayer dollars.

Ford is retired and has the freedom to focus entirely on his role as mayor. This, coupled with his experience, gives him an edge in the race, he said.

Terry Lowry

An Arp native, Lowry’s family moved to town when the railroad first came in.

“My grandfather at one time owned half of this city of Arp,” Lowry said.

He graduated from Arp High School before attending Abilene Christian University, where he earned a business management degree.

He left the city only to go to university and, on a handful of occasions, for work. His father was a business owner and served as mayor for two different terms, giving Lowry insight into city government and a business mindset.

His father started a self-serve car wash in 1965, which Lowry inherited.

“I’ve run that carwash on and off all my life because that’s what I was taught to do,” Lowry said. “I’ve been in business long before I got into teaching and coaching.”

Lowry has coached sports leagues and ran a business in town for years. He previously worked as an accountant for an engineering firm and as a field supervisor for a landscaping/irrigation company. He was previously a teacher and sports coach at Arp High School. He currently is a teacher and coach at Carlisle ISD and serves as the minister of Little Church of Christ. 

He served on the city council in 2014 and ran for mayor for the first time in 2016. He was elected and held the role until last term. He took some time off to rest, but said now he’s ready to return to the role.

Lowry mentioned his dad was mayor the last time Arp invested significantly in its aging water and wastewater infrastructure.

“We’ve got old infrastructure,” Lowry said. “I watched them put it down.”

When Lowry was mayor in 2017, the Arp City Council voted to spend $1.4 million on projects to address streets and outdated pipe systems. Recently, grant opportunities to replace 40,000 linear feet of water pipe pursued during his term are kicking off.

“It’s just things that have to be done in a small community, and when you’ve lived there all your life, and you’ve seen the ups and downs and things of that nature. You know that things have got to be done,” Lowry said. “I have some ideas that I’m going to try to initiate, and hopefully, it will work, which I think will, and it will help the town to continue to grow.”

As new construction projects bring a fresh face to the environment, desolate properties must be demolished. Lowry said there are many empty buildings in the city. Many people want to change that, and he supports growth.

Familiar candidate Lowry now competes against incumbent Ford for the mayor seat.

Both candidates bring qualifications and experience to the table. As voters evaluate their choices, they’ll consider each candidate’s vision, leadership style and plans for the city’s future.

City council candidates

Chris Johnson

East Texas native Johnson lived in Mount Pleasant and Flint before landing in Arp.

Johnson graduated from East Texas Christian Academy in Tyler. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from UT Tyler and a master’s in education from Lamar University.

He’s worked as an educator since 2008 and teaches forensics at Arp High School.

Distressed by the federal and state political landscapes and discourse, Johnson was inspired to participate in local government, where he felt people could make the most impact in their communities.

“Ultimately, it has a much bigger impact on most people’s lives than worrying about presidential elections and picking a side, picking a team, so I decided to focus my energy more there,” Johnson said.

He said local government is much more personable and nonpartisan. Not only is he familiar with those currently in these elected positions, but he knows those who will serve with him, and said their political beliefs aren’t as polarizing.

“We just need drivable roads, clean water, and a police force that keeps our residents safe,” Johnson said. “I don’t care whose idea it is. If it’s the best idea, then let’s do it. Let’s just solve problems and make people’s lives better. I think that’s how every elected official should look at it.”

Craig Robinson

Robinson was born and raised in Henderson, where he graduated high school. He then earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Kilgore College and started working for the Arp Police Department in 2001.

After 17 years, he held the rank of sergeant lieutenant assistant chief, and for the final four years, he was the chief of police. In 2018, he started the Arp ISD Police Department and held the chief role for six years.

“I got into Arp and fell in love with the town, fell in love with the people here,” Robinson said. “We’re really small. So, everyone helps each other out when we have something going on here. It’s a real family-oriented town.”

This year will be Robinson’s second term on the city council. He said most police officers have a servant’s heart, and his motivation to run came from the desire to stay involved with the city and ensure its continued upward trajectory.

Robinson said he didn’t want to become one of those people who sees things they don’t like and doesn’t do anything besides complain online. He also aims to promote transparency with residents and reduce frivolous spending.

“I’ve learned that city government is complex,” Robinson said. “I’ve learned that it takes everybody working together to achieve a goal, especially in a small town.”

Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s race, both Robinson and Johnson will be elected to the two council seats because they were the only two to file for a place on the ballot. This certainty stems from the city’s at-large election system, defined by its city charter. In this system, all candidates who file for a specific position face each other for the available seats.

Election Day is May 4. For a list of polling places, visit tylerpaper.com/elections or www.smith-county.com/government/departments/elections/current-election-information.