New Energy in Arkansas

Molly Rawn is the new mayor of Fayetteville, AR. She said she brings new energy to the role. She has a background in bringing tourists to her city and fundraising, good stepping stones to become mayor.

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David Martin: This is the good government show.

Molly Rawn: I’m really thrilled. I’m excited, I love Fayetteville. I love our city. There’s nowhere else in the country I’d rather be. And I think we have so much potential, so much going for us. We just needed a little bit more energy.

We can no longer govern like we’re a small college town. We have to move things forward. And so it’s a real opportunity. And I think it was really the right time. I have, had a career in fundraising and communications and thought that I would spend the majority of my thought that that’s what I would do forever is raising money and doing PR.

There are many ways to give back to a city, right? This isn’t the only one, but this is the way that works for me, and it’s the way that I know how to do it. I, decided a long time ago, rather than convince them they were wrong, I was just going to show them so. And that’s what I’ve done.

Good government is aspirational.

David Martin: I like talking with new mayors and young mayors. Molly Ron was less than a month into the job when I met her at the Conference of Mayors. And by the way, it was a birthday. She’s young when she says allows her to bring a new level of energy to the job. Welcome to the Good Government show. I’m Dave Martin.

First, help us share the message of good government by liking us and showing us where we are. On Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Blue Sky. Please share our show with your friends and reviews where you’re listening and join our good government Show community. Check out our website for the link on today’s show. I got a chance to talk with Molly Ryan as she starts her four year term as mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The first thing you notice when you talk to the new her enthusiasm for the job that’s in front of her. We talked about our background and how that led to her taking on the job as mayor. Fayetteville is in the northwest corner of the state and home to the University of Arkansas. A major driver of the local economy.

But as the mayor will tell you, it’s only part of what the city is about, she said of her agenda, which is in part eliminating red tape and getting city services. Here’s an update. In her first state of the city speech, she said she succeeded in this good government initiative. She said the city has already reduced the approval process.

Time for city permits on many projects. There’s a lot to do, she said. But she added that she’s taking over a city that’s already doing well. So coming up, my conversation with new mayor Molly Ron of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

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Welcome to the Good Government show. I’m happy to have with us the new mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Molly Ron, welcome to the show.

Molly Rawn:
Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

David Martin: 17 days in, we’re in Washington, and I just found out you’ve been mayor for 17 days.

Molly Rawn: Yeah. No, not a not a long time.

David Martin: How is your world changed in 17 days?

Molly Rawn: Quite a lot. There’s a significant. We had a, some winter weather. If you know anything about Arkansas, whenever we have snow that comes, you know, everybody runs out to buy the the bread and milk, and people get nervous. But, it was wonderful. We have a great team. We were prepared, but, so we weathered that, no pun intended.

And my first, in my first week of, an office.

David Martin: So I was just so a little snow. Was your was your first test.

Molly Rawn: A little snow? We got about six inches, which is, quite a lot for us, but our road crews were on top of it. We actually just were able to debut and roll out a, a new program that uses, software and, analytics through our GIS program to really look at where we’re pre treating the streets and where we’re plowing and keep track of it that way.

So that was a big win for our for our road department.

David Martin: So 17 days as mayor what possessed you to run for mayor.

Molly Rawn: I you know, I am asking myself this. And sometimes I lie awake and go. Did I just momentarily lose my mind? That’s meant to be a joke. I’m really thrilled. I’m excited. I love Fayetteville, I love our city. There’s nowhere else in the country I’d rather be. And I think we have so much potential, so much going for us.

We just needed a little bit more energy, which is needed to move forward. Yeah.

David Martin: And did you feel so you feel like you brought energy?

Molly Rawn: I did, yes, absolutely. And a sense of urgency. You know, I think we, you know, we’re in a growing we’re the second largest city in the state. And that’s, you know, in the past five years, we’ve seen that demographic shift to where we’ve, you know, taken over. And we were becoming the second largest. And we’re growing.

We have about 100 and 100,000 people. We’re a university, city. And so that doesn’t mean.

David Martin: Arkansas.

Molly Rawn: University of Arkansas Razorbacks. That doesn’t even include all of the, you know, 37,000 students that are there. And, we can no longer govern like we’re a small college town. We have to move things forward. And so it it’s a real opportunity. And I think it was really the right time for some new leadership.

David Martin: You’re a relatively young person, 42 younger than me, 30.

Molly Rawn: Two.

David Martin: Which is this is young for being.

Molly Rawn: Yes. Yeah. No, I think it definitely is young for being mayor for sure.

David Martin: What’s your background? What what got you into this?

Molly Rawn: I have, had a career in fundraising and communications and thought that I would spend the majority of my. I thought that that’s what I would do forever is raising money and doing PR until about eight.

David Martin: Are you good at strong army people for money?

Molly Rawn: I, I was at one point. I’m a little out of practice, but I understand that in this new role, I might have to use that again.

David Martin: Okay, good. Good skill to fall back on.

Molly Rawn: But I, about eight years ago, I took an opportunity to be the CEO of our tourism bureau, which was a component unit of our city, and they took a chance on me not having a background in the CVB world, but, it was wonderful. I always say that tourism, when done well, is increases the quality of life for the people that live in a community.

All right. So just the people to visit.

David Martin: Without your old hat? Yes.

Molly Rawn: There was an economic developer.

David Martin: What what what does, what what brings people to Fayetteville?

Molly Rawn: Oh, man. What brings people to Fayetteville? So, of course, there’s the you know, there’s the obvious. There’s the, Arkansas Razorbacks. That’s our number one tourism driver. But what I think that people will find is we have an incredible, trail system. So if you are a cyclist of any kind, Fayetteville is, you know, it’s nestled in the Ozark Mountains.

It’s beautiful. I show, pictures to people all the time, and I’m like, guess which state? And they can’t, and people don’t pin it is Arkansas. You know, I think it’s just this we’ve had this. It’s a hidden gem in many ways. And we have a wonderful trail network, wonderful greenway, wonderful arts and culture. You know, we have the Walton Arts Center right in downtown Fayetteville.

So you do get this or, you know, more urban feel these amenities that you would expect out of a bigger city. But it still hasn’t lost its small time, small town charm.

David Martin: And you said you grew up in little Rock. What brought you to Fayetteville?

Molly Rawn: I my husband and I moved to Fayetteville for him to get his master’s degree from the university, and we had we.

David Martin: Moved.

Molly Rawn: To that. He did? Yes, he did, he did. We, moved in a 2005. We were both lifelong Arkansans, moved to Fayetteville, and it took us maybe two weeks to decide, okay, we’re never you know, this is this is our home. This is what we’re going to stay.

David Martin: How much of giving back to this place that you’ve adopted as your hometown drives you to become mayor and to work for it?

Molly Rawn: I would really at the risk of sounding trite. I mean, that’s all of what it is. I mean, that’s this my community and the community of Fayetteville, I take so much pride in it and so much ownership in it. And I feel like it, you know, it’s a it’s another it’s like the, the main character in the show that is my life.

I mean, it’s my city. It’s so important and, know. So giving back to it is this is the way that I know how to do it. There are many ways to give back to a city, right? This isn’t the only one, but this is the way that works for me, and it’s the way that I know how to do it.

David Martin: It’s a huge jump to go from being head of the tourist board of the CVB or whatever that name is for that, that entity to being there.

Molly Rawn: It is. Yeah. We went from a, you know, I managed a $6 million budget and now, it’s, you know, $245 million budget. So that’s like, we’re right, 22 employees to now we have over 900. So yeah, it is a it is a huge jump. But, I have worked closely with our city for several years, built relationships within our city.

We have a wonderful staff. We have a wonderful city team. I have a wonderful chief of staff. So it was a it is a big jump, but it was a big jump I’m prepared for.

David Martin: There must have been people who said, you know, who is this girl? Molly? Now she’s going to be the mayor. I like what’s going on.

Molly Rawn: All of them, like so many, so many of them, so many of them. And some of them probably still do. But I, decided a long time ago, rather than convince them they were wrong, I was just going to show them so. And that’s what I’ve done.

David Martin: So you ran as mayor? What? You you know, this is the good government show. What was the good government you hope to bring to Fayetteville? But they didn’t house.

Molly Rawn: Well, I want to say that, you know, we had a lot of good ingredients. I did not by any means walk into an administration that was broken. I did not walk into a city that was not already doing well. Right. I want to I want to say that from the get go, I have a tremendous amount of respect for, former city leadership.

What I wanted to bring was a sense of urgency. We have, in Fayetteville. Sometimes process becomes the deliverable and we lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish. We, you know, we are following the process, but we have forgotten that the process needs to end to a to results. And so, we talked a lot about housing in my campaign.

Housing, land use.

David Martin: That’s a problem of zoning.

Molly Rawn: It is it is a problem across the country. But what I just actually read this morning and the report that us, concept, Conference of Mayors put out is that, in an absence of strong federal guidelines and support for municipalities and housing, it is up to the municipalities in many ways to bring about those changes. So, yes, it is a national problem.

And yes, cities have a role to play in solving it, for sure.

David Martin: And what do you what’s the role that you see your city developing as you in your. Is it a two year term, four year term?

Molly Rawn: It’s a four year term.

David Martin: All right. So you’re just getting started.

Molly Rawn: I’m just getting started.

David Martin: Three years to go watch out of your agenda.

Molly Rawn: Yeah I think a partnership with the university one of the issues that we have right now is that most of the available, available affordable housing is taken up by students, and students need a place to live to. And so we need to be more aggressive of in, making sure that we’re not losing sight of workforce housing.

Okay. And I think that we can do that. You know, Fayetteville, made headway or, you know, made quite a bit of press. It was a little bit controversial several years ago when we did away with parking minimums, for, commercial businesses. And I think that there are people that are trying to claw that back. And I think that that would be a mistake.

I think that, you have to make a decision as a leader whether or not your city is going to be built for people or we build for built for cars. Yeah. So I’m trying to bring about a change where we are building for people in that building for cars. And I think that’s one of the most important things that we can do.

David Martin: To more bike lanes.

Molly Rawn: And I mean, sure, more bike lanes are fun, but I think that’s reductive. I don’t think it’s just that I think it’s about, transit centers, making sure, you know, if we can, we don’t have to make it where nobody has a car. We can just make it where 1 or 2 things that they do each day is a little bit easier to do with that.

A car. And I think the best years.

David Martin: Are you talking about other forms of mass transit? More busses?

Molly Rawn: I would love that in a particularly in a, a regional approach. So we’re in the I-49 corridor, which is Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and cities that are home to, you know, well, one of them home to headquarters of a fortune one company off the road in Bentonville, and then also several on the fortune 500 list up and down that area.

And so we see a lot of people now that are commuting, you know, both north and south every day. And so, to people moving from larger cities, northwest Arkansas feels like one large city in many ways. And so I think a regional transit, whether that be light rail or just improved bus service, has to be a piece of that conversation.

David Martin: How is that going over our people? It’s hard to get people out of their cars.

Molly Rawn: It is very hard to get people out. It’s hard to get me out of my car. I get it, I get it.

David Martin: But I live in New York City. That’s why I asked about bikes. I take them, I ride a bike around. Yeah.

Molly Rawn: Yeah.

David Martin: You know.

Molly Rawn: And that’s fantastic. And so I think, I think people sometimes, you know, they go, they think about, you know, New York City or they go to these like extreme examples that are so different from Fayetteville, you.

David Martin: Know, putting a subway in Fayetteville.

Molly Rawn: Right. And we’re not we are not. But, we can look at examples that are closer to home. Like Chattanooga’s done a lot of good things. Madison, Wisconsin has done a lot of good things. And so I think that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I’m not trying to get rid of everybody’s cars, right. I’m just trying to say that, you know, maybe we don’t have to dictate, how many parking spaces you have for your business.

David Martin: So you’re here at the Conference of Mayors, are you are you meeting those? Are those mayors from those cities?

Molly Rawn: I am not those to the I name just yet. I hope that I get to. But, I’ve met several great mayors. I have a mayor buddy that I’m looking forward to meeting. They paired us. It’s funny. They call it a mayor, buddy. It’s very cute. I like it. It is.

David Martin: Your bear, buddy.

Molly Rawn: Mayor Bayard from Lincoln, Nebraska. Okay. And I haven’t met her yet, and I get to meet her here in a couple hours. I’m really looking forward to it. Good.

David Martin: All right. You said you ran on on a housing platform. What’s the one thing you hope to accomplish in the next three years and 11 months?

Molly Rawn: It’d be easier to say like.

David Martin: Oh, by the way, we’re going to do we’re going to do another interview in four years. Oh.

Molly Rawn: Yes. Yeah. I’m putting the pressure on.

David Martin: No pressure. Just good government.

Molly Rawn: Fully redeveloped unified development code. We’ve been sort of patching it here and there, and I think that, an entire new, development code for the city of Fayetteville is what I hope to accomplish.

David Martin: So this should.

Molly Rawn: And a downtown master plan. I’m making those do things because they’re very they’re related but do things streamlining the process. Yes.

David Martin: Eliminating some of, the backlog and red tape, if you will. Yes. Streamlining the process and making it more accessible for everyone.

Molly Rawn: Yes.

David Martin: That sounds like good government.

Molly Rawn: Yeah, it is good government is smart. It makes sense.

David Martin: All right. So we’re going to find out more about your ideas about good government after this break okay.

Molly Rawn: Great.

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David Martin: You’ve been mayor for, 70 days. Define good government.

Molly Rawn: Good government is responsive to its residents. Good government is aspirational, and good government is transparent.

David Martin: At the end of your week, how when you look back, how do you judge if you had a good week or not?

Molly Rawn: Oh, you know what? That’s something I’m bad at because I’m, I’m so impatient that at the end of a week, I’m usually already thinking about what I need to be doing next week, that I don’t often take enough time to evaluate and reflect upon the week. So I don’t do that well. So I’m going to.

David Martin: Does your husband help with that?

Molly Rawn: He does, he does. He’s fantastic and good. Having a strong partner in one’s life is it’s. And I wouldn’t be I couldn’t do this without him.

David Martin: Yeah. How should people hold you accountable if they don’t like what you’re doing or they don’t think you’re going down the right, the right path?

Molly Rawn: They should not reelect me. Well.

David Martin: That’s three years of putting up with you.

Molly Rawn: Sure, sure. They, I want to hear from them. I, you know, I’m Fayetteville. Sometimes it is a, I have to, you know, grit my teeth and bear it. But one of the things that I do genuinely love most about our city is that we are engaged and we are active, and people are not shy about sharing their opinions.

So I have no doubt that over the course of the next four years, my community will let me know.

David Martin: And if they don’t like what you’re doing, what should they do?

Molly Rawn: They should email me. They should tell me. They should come to a city council meeting and, voice their opinion on any given topic. They should run. They should run for Senate, run for city Council.

David Martin: That’s hard to do that. That is.

Molly Rawn: Very hard. And not everybody can do that. And you’re right. And I’m not saying everybody should do that or everybody wants to do that. And by no means is that the only way to hold me accountable. But, you know, I’ve reached out to me to let me know.

David Martin: Okay.

Molly Rawn: Email me, call the mayor’s office, come to a city council meeting, let me know.

David Martin: The people have your phone numbers.

Molly Rawn: They do? Yes.

David Martin: And people see you out in town.

Molly Rawn: And people see me out. It’s not.

David Martin: It’s not a it’s a full time job. Yes it is. Yeah. Do you have a city manager or are you at.

Molly Rawn: I’m at. Oh, wow. Yeah.

David Martin: So it’s a full time job every day.

Molly Rawn: This is a full time job every single day. Yep.

David Martin: 17 days in. What have you learned? That you may not have known.

Molly Rawn: The critical importance of the state decisions in the Arkansas Constitution, and how limited in many ways we are, and how limiting it can be for municipalities.

David Martin: And what do you do about that?

Molly Rawn: That’s a different one. Yeah, that’s a whole other. I time forming array. You have to as mayor, especially in a state like Arkansas, have good, strong, solid relationships with, with your state elected officials. You know, we’re looking if we have someone that is down in little Rock regularly all the time. And, that’s important.

David Martin: Where you get your news, where do you find out what’s going on?

Molly Rawn: So I, listen to NPR. I used to work for a public radio station, so I would have to say I started my career.

David Martin: Like you.

Molly Rawn: Say. I would have to say that, NPR, of course, our local paper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. But then I also subscribe to a wonderful local publication. The paper flier is an online only read, and they do a fantastic at this. Like micro, hyper, hyper local.

David Martin: They cover every.

Molly Rawn: Single. Yes. I’m a, I’m quite a reader. Always have been. Washington Post a little less so lately, but, I still read the post, the Atlantic for a longer form.

David Martin: Okay. Do you have a political hero? Is there anyone who inspires you to to run for office? Now that you’re in office?

Molly Rawn: Yes, several. So, I mean, it may be it’s cliche and politically we’re on not on the same side of things, but, you know, I always think back to the good Ann Richards, governor of Texas.

David Martin: Okay.

Molly Rawn: She’s a fascinating, fascinating to me.

David Martin: And what might.

Molly Rawn: Be is a is is fair.

David Martin: Well, nobody said that, Richard Hardy 100.

Molly Rawn: And then I’ll say one more that no one has said, that they should. Nicole Clowney, she is a state representative from the state of Arkansas. One of the most intelligent people that I have had the pleasure of knowing. And she’s a, a political hero and also a mom and, a personal hero of mine.

David Martin: All right. Great. Did you dream about being in elected office? Did you, you know, want to be president when you were a kid? But you’re president of the high school class?

Molly Rawn: Not president. No, I was not from people that are, if anybody is listening that I went to high school with which I doubt they are, but if they are, they would they would laugh. No. Certainly not. President in my high school class. Didn’t think I’d ever run for office. And until about I started thinking about it seriously about five years ago.

David Martin: I’m coming to Arkansas. What are we having? What’s the dish of Fayetteville?

Molly Rawn: What is the dish? Fayetteville. We are going to go to Hugo’s and have a burger, and then we are going to go to Maxine’s taproom and have a cocktail or mocktail, depending upon your cocktail. Then there we go to that last question.

David Martin: It’s the good government show. We always bring it back to good government. Give me an example of a good government project that you’re just starting off with, that you’re excited about.

Molly Rawn: A good government project that we are just starting up as the, pre-approved building permits something that we have been working on for quite a while. And, I’m excited about it. I think government.

David Martin: This is streamlining and this is, limiting waste and good government. Yep. Molly Ron of Fayetteville, Arkansas, 70 days and good luck.

Molly Rawn: Thank you so much. And it’s also my birthday.

David Martin: Hey, it’s your birthday. Oh my gosh. We could have started with that. Thanks for stopping by.

Molly Rawn: Thank you.

David Martin: County government affects more people than any other form of government. That’s why we like talking to so many representatives of county government here on the Good Government show. They are the voice of public service. The National Association of Counties, or Naco, supports all 3069 counties across the USA this year. Their annual conference is in Philadelphia in July, planned to attend the conference and join them in their efforts to bring good government to America’s counties.

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After you get done with this episode, hear more good government stories with our friends at How to Really Run a City for mayors Kasim Reed of Atlanta and Michael Nutter of Adelphia, and their co-host, journalist and author Larry Platt talk with guests and other mayors about how to really get stuff done in cities around the nation. Check them out where you’re listening now or through their nonprofit news site, The Philadelphia Citizen.

Dot org slash podcasts.

I’m not going to convince people. I’m going to show them a good attitude from Molly Ron as she completes her first year in office as mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas. I like when she said I was building a city for people, not cars, and she said, if people can do 1 or 2 things a day without their cars, I own that success.

A good goal of good government, good luck to the new mayor. A big agenda, but big energy too. Well, that’s our show. Thanks for listening. Please like us and share this with your friends and with us right here where you’re listening. And check out our website. Good government show.com for extras. Help us keep telling stories of good government and action everywhere.

Join us again for another episode right here. I’m Dave Martin and this is the Good Government show.

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**This transcription was created using digital tools and has not been edited by a live person. We apologize for any discrepancies or errors.