Mark Vaught for Conway City Council

About Mark Vaught

Leadership and family values

Dedication you can count on. Experience you can trust.

Mark has been a proud citizen of Conway since 1988 when he moved here from Perryville to attend the University of Central Arkansas. There, he obtained his degree in Computer Science and started a career at Acxiom as a Software Engineer. After gaining experience in both technology and leadership, he was selected to serve as the Chief Information Officer (and Deputy Director) for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Arkansas Attorney General's Office, and currently serves in this role at the Arkansas Department of Transportation.

Mark was elected to the Conway City Council in 2006 and served for two terms prior to his decision not to seek reelection in 2012. During that time, Mark led the effort to create more transparency into the city's budgets, operations, and legislative actions by elected officials. His focus was on fiscal responsibility and prioritization of city services beginning with public safety, infrastructure, and economic development. Mark is known for representing the people's interests first and not shying away from voting against the status quo. Mark served on the United Way Board of Directors and the Faulkner County Leadership Institute Board as well.

In the past 36 years, Mark has made Conway his home and attended the Robinson & Center Church of Christ where he met Penny, his wife of 32 years. Together they have raised their family, having now two grown daughters who are graduates of UCA, and a son who plans to attend there as well. Mark and Penny are expecting their first grandchild in February.

Issues

Plans and Goals

Mark has always represented his constituents by utilzing common sense approaches to issues facing the city. He used his vote on the Council to support initiatives that are best for the people living and working in Conway. His priorities for the city include the following:

Ensure proper use of city funds

“It has been my experience that the people of Conway care deeply about maintaining low crime rates, driving on good streets, and having great working, shopping, and dining opportunities. City government must focus on the proper funding of our Fire and Police Departments, maintenance and reconstruction of streets, drainage, and utilities, and expanding opportunities for business and commerce. Beyond that, citizens have also expressed their desire for the city to provide recreational opportunities for themselves and their children.

Conway has a mix of revenue sources that fund the various services the city provides. While some can only be used for certain purposes, others are distributed over several different service costs. The city has to utilize all of its resources in the most efficient manner to provide adequate service funding without raising taxes. Smart prioritization of city funds creates the kind of safe, vibrant city we all want to live in while saving taxpayer dollars in the long run.”

PUBLIC SAFETY

The top priority of any municipal government is to provide exceptional fire and police protection to the city. Proper funding of the Fire and Police Departments are vital to maintaining the safety and security of our citizens.

INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE

We must keep moving forward with the reconstruction of our streets and drainage infrastructure which also includes the placement of roundabouts at strategic locations and working with Conway Corporation to upgrade utilities in the process.

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT

Conway is one of the fastest growing cities in Arkansas due in large part to the excellent opportunities the city provides for working, dining, shopping, etc. The city must continue to work with the Conway Deveopment Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce, and the State Legislature to continue to expand these opportunities.

LAND USE, ZONING, AND PERMITTING

To manage the continued growth of Conway, careful attention must be paid to proper usage of land and zoning. While we want quality homes built, we must take a common sense approach to housing and building permits to ensure we do not put onerous, expensive burdens on families trying to build homes in Conway.

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES

Conway voters have approved several recreational projects over the last few years. While the facilities are fully funded, the operation and maintenance is left up to the city's General Fund. The city must ensure that funds are available to maintain these facilites at minimal impact to General Fund resources.

Events

The main event is here! See below for information on the upcoming Runoff Election to help put Mark back on the Conway City Council.

Runoff Election

Early Voting

Early voting begins for the Runoff Election on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. The Faulkner County Courthouse is open between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm Tuesday through Friday and the following Monday (closed Thanksgiving day).

Election Day

The Faulkner County Library and McGee Center are open on Tuesday December 3, 2024 for the Runoff Election between the hours of 7:30 am and 7:30 pm.

Contact

Please drop us a note to let Mark know what issues are important to you, how we can help once elected, or to just let us know we can count on your support. We would love to put a sign in your yard, too!