​​Gastineau for Ward Mayor
2 Circle B Dr, Ward, AR 72176
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My Visions for Ward

My Values 

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Mayor, CITY OF wARD

Re-Elect Charles Gastineau

"If ethics are poor at the top, the behavior is copied down through the organization"

Robert Noycce

  • God First.
  • Integrity matters.
  • Service above self
  • Honesty is a must.
  • Humility is a gift. 
  • Listen More, Talk Less.

Six Major Goals that I Still Believe In 


Growth -  Working with the Planning Commission and local developers, I have worked hard to ensure that any growth in the city is properly coordinated with all applicable departments within the city, in particular the Water/Wastewater Department, to ensure we can meet demands.  We are also partnering with Metroplan’s Small Cities Council to develop a Unified Development Ordinance, which will serve as the model for small cities of less than 10,000 population for their subdivision and zoning regulations.  I expect Ward to adopt this Ordinance in early 2023.  If our current rate of growth continues as shown in the last census, Ward’s population should be over 9,000 in 2030. We must plan for this growth.

Management – I am a firm believer in allowing my Department Heads to run their areas.  Yes, I provide executive oversight, but the Department Heads and Office Managers must be entrusted to run their sections efficiently and effectively.  I am not a micro-manager, as I believe those closest to the operations are best suited to make the proper decisions.  However, the Mayor always retains final decisions.

Finance – Ensuring taxpayer monies are spent correctly is not only a goal, it is required by law.  After taking office, I instituted a new set of procedures in which supervisors and department heads must review and approve expenditures before I review them.  By ordinance, anything over $500.00 must be approved by the Mayor.  I also updated our purchasing policy with the council to ensure our practices and procedures are up to date with current state law concerning purchases over $35,000. 

Technology – Immediately after taking office, I took steps to automate several city services and procedures, including internal network calendars; an online bill pay option for Water/Wastewater customers; an updated alert system; updated websites for the City, Fire Department, and Water/Wastewater Department, and more.  We also upgraded our operating systems, programs, and security to ensure we are always current and secure. We provide continuous training to all necessary personnel to keep all systems secure as well.

Employees – Since taking office, I have created a working environment that not only encourages our employees to do their best, but they know they have avenues to voice their concerns and suggestions without judgment.  I've also increased employee pay and implemented a "Longevity Pay" program to reward employees who continue their employment with us over the long term.  A "Sick-Leave Bank" was also instituted, in which employees can bank their excess sick-leave hours for others to use, as needed.  My goal continues to be to hire the best and then provide for them, so that they understand their worth to the organization and will want to stay for the long term.    

Communications – One of the first acts of my administration was to ensure all citizens know they have a voice for this city. We have implemented procedures that allow the public to comment on any Resolution and Ordinance that is brought before the City Council, as well as allow anyone to speak on any city-related matters at the end of any their meetings. We also updated or created better platforms to ensure public announcements are easily and effectively shareable, such as updating the city’s social media page, creating multiple websites for different city functions, and creating mass text/email programs.

Personally, I pride myself on being available to Ward’s citizens practically 24/7, via email, text, or even scheduling in-person meetings.  No appointment is needed.  ​My job as a Mayor is to represent the community, so I consistently make sure the community knows that I am approachable and the various avenues in which I can be reached.


My Continued Commitments  

Community Involvement - To put it simply, I tried to do this, but had little to no attendance. After a year, I stopped providing the Town Hall meetings. Then Covid hit, and that put a complete end to it.  However, I did not stop trying to engage with the public!  We updated our social media platforms and our websites to ensure more information is disseminated, in a timely manner, and available to anyone, regardless of the time of day.   We encourage community feedback and also answer inquiries as soon as practical. 

Strategic Planning – Although a true Strategic Plan hasn’t been created, we have finalized an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), published a new Master Street Plan, and am working closely with Metroplan to develop and implement a new Unified Development Plan, which will replace our current Subdivision and Zoning Regulation that was implemented in the early 90s. My goal is to continue to establish a solid foundation for future growth.

​Water and Wastewater – Eighty-four homes have been removed from the vacuum system and a grant application has been submitted for funds to remove the remaining homes from the vacuum system as soon as next year!

Additionally, we have implemented a plan to replace old worn-out water meters with new Radio Read Meters, eliminating the need for workers to physically read the meters.  This million-dollar-plus project with be funded with local and county American Rescue Plan Act funds, without the need to raise water rates to fund the project. This project is expected to be completed in 2023. 

​Police Department - While we never were able to staff a 24-Hour Dispatch, by law the six (to include Ward) 911 Call Centers in Lonoke County have to have a plan in place by the end of this year to consolidate the six centers into one.  I am working closely with my fellow Lonoke County Mayors, the County Judge, and Sheriff on this project.  When this project goes operational in 2024/2025, all calls from the county for emergency assistance will route to and be dispatched from one secure facility.

Fire Department – We must continue to work toward a full-time Fire Department.  While this may be several years away, at the rate of growth Ward is seeing, this may be needed sooner rather than later; however, finding the funding is the challenge.  In the meantime, we will continue to keep our volunteers equipped with the most updated equipment available to us within our budget.

​Street Department - In 2021, we updated our Master Street Plan for the first time in 20+ years.  This plan projects where local and arterial streets may go in the future and is needed to ensure future growth is executed with planning and forethought. While we were able to overlay about 1.5 miles of local streets in 2021, many more streets need to be overlaid or completely reconstructed.  Smooth and safe roads are a goal in any city, and Ward is no different.

​​Technology Upgrades - While we have made lots of improvements in this area, this is an area that will require constant updating to keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats. I will be seeking funds from a recently released Cybersecurity Threat Program to further upgrade and maintain our systems and procedures.