By: Hannah Moore
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) — On Tuesday, Feb. 10, the City of Fayetteville held The State of the City Address at the Town Center with Mayor Molly Rawn.
Attendees could walk through the event space before the formal address began to get a closer look at specific project details and initiatives happening throughout the next year. Rawn started the formal address promptly at 6:30 p.m., thanking city staff for their continued efforts to prioritize Fayetteville.
“I want to first thank the City of Fayetteville staff, whose contributions will be talked about and woven throughout my speech this evening,” Rawn said. “I want to thank my fellow elected city officials, several of whom are able to be here with us tonight.”
Rawn first touched on housing, what she believes to be the most asked question from community members, stating it was important for the city to reestablish a working relationship with the Fayetteville Housing Authority. After taking this step towards housing reliability, she details how the city took advantage of more funding.
“Our city took the unprecedented step of providing $200,000 worth of funding to the Housing Authority to jump start their path towards real and sustained housing programs,” Rawn said.
Two of these new programs offer faster permit ready plans and same-day permit approvals for residents. Specifically, Rawn stated there has been a 50% reduction in wait times for grading permits since the first quarter of 2025. The city updated large student housing developments, requiring special permits to align with the entire city’s growth plan. The city also coordinated a response to extreme weather between city outreach teams and volunteer emergency shelters to provide a more active role in response efforts. Individuals who use emergency shelters were notified in advance of schedules and provided clearer expectations regarding check-in times and shelter openings.
Infrastructure was next on the list for Rawn making it clear one project is not possible without others.
“We cannot talk about housing unless we talk about infrastructure,” Rawn said. “Without the improved roads and sufficient capacity in our water and sewer system we cannot build the housing units that we need.”
1,000 water service lines were repaired by city crews last year. The highway 112 expansion broke ground as well as a downtown plan led by locals with forward looking goals. The city’s second large solar array will open later this year, bringing 93% of energy used by city properties from clean energy sources. Rawn stated the bold goal of 100% clean energy consumption by 2030. A new cart-based program is set to roll out later this year, designed to increase participation, reduce confusion, and make the recycling system more consistent for all households across the city.
Rawn also stated that that many of the new administration’s first challenges included finances.
“We inherited a projected $3 million deficit in the general fund, and there was no easy way around it,” Rawn said. “The choices before us required discipline, transparency, and a willingness to focus on the long term rather than on quick fixes.”
Fayetteville made history last year passing Arkansas’s first Firefighters Bill of Rights, setting clear expectations for every man and woman to be treated fairly and with respect. The council also approved a 40% increase in public transit funding to expand services and improve reliability. Six bus shelters have been added in recent months, and Rawn said every bus stop will be covered by the end of 2028. The City of Fayetteville also secured one of the first major employer expansions, a project Rawn said signals the city is open for business.
For the future, residents will vote for nine bond questions in March that will continue the existing one-cent sales tax without raising it. This would invest $335 million into projects that will go towards future infrastructure and Fayetteville’s quality of life.
“This is such an opportunity to invest in projects that will pay dividends for literally decades to come in terms of infrastructure, quality of life, amenities, things that will really set Fayetteville on the right path,” Rawn said.
Rawn closed her address by reminding attendees of their shared responsibility and outlining how she plans to move into the next year with the city.
“This year was about laying foundations, about building trust, and about choosing progress,” Rawn said. “That is intentional. That is steady, and that is shared. Thank you for holding us accountable. Thank you for being a part of this work, and thank you for continuing to help shape the future of Fayetteville.”