Ray Dotson

Ray Dotson for Springdale City Council

Ward 2, Position 2 · Special Election

“Your Neighbor, Your Voice.”

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Ray Dotson, candidate for Springdale City Council

Your ballot

Springdale City Council · Ward 2, Position 2 · Special Election

  1. 1 Ray Dotson

Ray Dotson is listed first on the ballot for this race.

Early voting
through Sites and hours change from day to day. On the last day, Monday, November 2, the only early voting site is the Washington County Courthouse, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Election Day
Polls are open 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can vote at any vote center in Washington County.

Sites and hours are set by the county. Check the official lists before you go:

Where he stands

Four priorities for Ward 2 and for Springdale.

Safe Neighborhoods

A safe neighborhood is more than a statistic. It is being able to sit on your porch in the evening, while letting your kids play safely outside, and know that when someone needs help, help will come. Ray wants Springdale police, fire protection, streets, lighting, and other basic services to keep pace with growth so every neighborhood continues to feel cared for and protected.

Fiscal Responsibility

A city budget is more than numbers on a page, it represents the work and taxes of the people who live there. Ray's experience with Springdale's bond program taught him the importance of setting priorities, watching costs closely, and thinking beyond the next year when major decisions are made. He wants city spending to be careful, understandable, and focused on projects that provide lasting value to Springdale.

Support for Police and Firefighters

When someone calls 911, they are usually having one of the worst moments in their life. In that moment, what matters is knowing someone trained, prepared, and equipped is on the way, which is why Ray believes Springdale should provide the staffing, training, equipment, facilities, and competitive pay needed to support the men and women who answer those calls - and make sure response capabilities keep pace as the city grows.

Smart and Responsible Growth

Growth changes more than a skyline. It changes the roads we drive, the neighborhoods we live in, the water and sewer systems we depend on, and how long it takes to get from one side of town to the other. Ray believes development decisions should look beyond what works today and consider traffic, drainage, infrastructure, public safety, the surrounding neighborhoods and the people who already call Springdale home, and what those decisions will mean for years from now.

I am proud to support Ray Dotson for Springdale City Council because he has experience, common sense, and integrity to serve our community and make decisions that put the people of Springdale first.

Denis Dean Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney
  • Former Chief Deputy Prosecutor for Washington and Madison Counties
  • Former federal prosecutor
  • Former law enforcement officer

Titles listed for identification purposes only.

His record

Chairman of the City’s Bond Committee

During his previous service on the Springdale City Council, Ray Dotson served as Chairman of the City’s Bond Committee, working alongside fellow committee members Jeff Watson and Billy Eden.

  • Oversaw major investments

    in the city’s roads and infrastructure.

  • Watched the numbers

    Tracked progress and kept projects on track.

  • Made sure promises were kept

    Held the city to the commitments it made to voters.

Ray Dotson in a cowboy hat and blazer, photographed in front of a road resurfacing crew at work.
The Springdale Chamber of Commerce building at dusk, with the American and Arkansas flags flying out front.
The Springdale Chamber of Commerce

As a freshman City Councilman in 1993, I helped secure the Springdale Chamber of Commerce’s first $35,000 in funding from the City of Springdale!

Back in 1993, as a freshman Springdale City Councilman, I attended a retreat in Eureka Springs hosted by the Springdale Chamber of Commerce, with Lee Zachry serving as president.

During the retreat, I asked longtime Springdale City Councilman Bob Collins how much financial support the City of Springdale provided to the Chamber of Commerce. His answer was nothing.

I believed then, just as I do today, that the Chamber of Commerce is the front door to Springdale, representing our city, promoting local businesses, and encouraging economic growth.

So I took the lead. I introduced a resolution to provide $35,000 in city funding to the Springdale Chamber of Commerce, and the City Council approved it.

Lee Zachry then used that funding to hire Perry Webb, helping strengthen the Chamber’s efforts to promote Springdale.

That was 33 years ago.

I was investing in Springdale’s future back then, and my commitment to this city and our Chamber of Commerce has never changed.

My roots run deep in Springdale, and my commitment runs even deeper.

Ray Dotson

Jeff Watson and Billy Eden are named here as fellow members of the Bond Committee, and Lee Zachry, Bob Collins, Perry Webb and the Springdale Chamber of Commerce as part of Ray’s account of 1993. That describes shared service and past events. It is not a statement of endorsement or support.

About Ray

  • More than five decades in Springdale
  • Springdale High School
  • Opened Dotson's Glass & Mirror in 1983
  • Three elected terms on the City Council

Ray Dotson's story in Springdale began around 1971, when his family moved here from Chillicothe, Missouri. After first living on Sherman Street, Ray made his home on Raymond Lane for more than four decades before moving to Ward 2 about seven years ago. Springdale is where Ray and his wife, Lesa, built their life and raised their three daughters, Shawna, Erin, and Ashton. It's also where Ray built his businesses. In 1983, he purchased the old Harp's Cash Grocery building at 419 E. Emma Avenue and opened Dotson's Glass & Mirror. More than forty years later, the business is still there. Over the years, Ray has built and operated other successful businesses as well, giving him decades of experience managing budgets, making difficult decisions, solving problems, and understanding what it takes to build something that lasts.

Ray's commitment to Springdale eventually led him into public service. He has served three separate elected terms on the Springdale City Council, including representing Ward 3, Position 1. During his time on the council, Ray served on the city's Bond Committee during a period of major investment in Springdale's streets, infrastructure, and community projects, including the work surrounding what became Arvest Ballpark.

Today, Ray has lived in Ward 2 for approximately seven years. After more than five decades in Springdale - as a husband, father, businessman, neighbor, and council member - he has watched the city grow and change while never losing sight of the people and neighborhoods that built it. For Ray, serving Springdale has always been about something pretty simple: take care of what we have, plan wisely for what's coming, spend taxpayer money carefully, and leave the city stronger for the next generation.

Ray Dotson in a dark suit and checked tie, holding hands with his wife, Lesa, who wears a white lace dress and pearls.
Ray and his wife, Lesa.

How to vote

Every link below goes to an official Washington County or State of Arkansas page. Voting rules and locations are set by the state and the county, not by this campaign.

  1. Check that you are registered

    Arkansas VoterView shows your registration status, the districts you vote in, and where you can vote. The registration deadline for this election was .

    Check your registration on VoterView

  2. Decide when to vote

    Vote early from through , or on Election Day, , at any vote center in the county. Early voting sites and hours change from day to day, so check before you go.

    Early voting sites and hours

  3. Bring a photo ID

    Arkansas requires voters to show photo identification, such as a driver’s license, a state ID card or a U.S. passport. The Secretary of State keeps the full list of accepted ID.

    See the accepted ID list

Get in touch

Call or text Ray

479-263-2220

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On Facebook

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