Bryant Mayor Chris Treat won his first full four-year term in office on Tuesday, defeating challenger Walter Burgess by a wide margin in a race that also hands Treat a mandate to tackle road funding and the city's long-neglected parks system. Treat pulled in 4,217 votes, or 64.28%, while Burgess collected 2,343 votes, or 35.72%, according to results reported by Saline County.
The outcome, while decisive, is not yet final. As The Saline Courier reported, the election results remain unofficial until certification. The Courier also reported Burgess at 2,343 votes, or 35.72%.
Treat, who was first elected mayor in a 2024 special election, told the Courier he felt great and was fired up about having a four-year term. The Tuesday win marked his first full term in office. Before entering city hall, Treat spent eight years as director of Bryant's Parks & Recreation Department, according to Arkansas Business.
A Challenge From Within the Council
Treat's opponent wasn't an outsider. Council member Walter Burgess, described by MySaline's candidate rundown as a laser maker, challenged the incumbent mayor for the seat. Records from that same candidate list show Treat filed for the race on July 30, while Burgess filed five days later, on August 4.
Uniting the Community, Then Building It
Looking back on his short first stint as mayor, Treat said his first three years focused on uniting the community. Now, with a full term secured, he plans to pass Bryant's comprehensive growth plan, an effort already underway through an initiative called Bryant Leap Forward.
That plan, launched as a community-driven growth framework, was described by Treat in an interview with Arkansas Business as an update to Bryant's comprehensive growth plan, which has not been updated in more than a decade. Treat said public input would play a central role in shaping what comes next for the city. In a separate interview with Arkansas Business, Treat pointed to a telling pressure point behind the push: nearly as many people commute into Bryant for work each day as residents commute out.
Roads and Parks Top the To-Do List
On infrastructure, Treat identified Springhill and Hilltop as priority roads and said he plans to find a funding source for improvements there. He also said Bryant needs to discuss long-term funding for its parks and recreation department, a department he once ran himself.
That funding conversation has already started. Bryant officials have proposed a parks and recreation master plan intended to guide maintenance and growth over the next 20 years if adopted, according to KLRT - FOX16. More than 1,100 people responded to a survey about what residents wanted from the parks system, the station reported, even as officials acknowledged that funding remains a challenge after an A&P tax initiative failed to pass in 2023.
