New Bloomfield's mayor, Mike Lowe, sets sights on reelection, city initiatives for 2014

Mike Lowe has decided to run again for mayor of New Bloomfield in 2014.

Although its not yet the new year, Lowe has started thinking about what's in the future for the city of about 670.

Lowe said he has a business-centric platform, as he would like to see business develop on five acres of land by Meadow Lake, which he referred to a potential "money maker" for New Bloomfield. Lowe said the city council is leaning toward leasing the land, and called establishing businesses there a "no brainer."

To attract new businesses to New Bloomfield, Lowe said he thinks the city will help businesses with the land and offer tax incentives.

"We don't want to die," Lowe said. "We want to keep growing."

Lowe said an emergency equipment company is already coming to New Bloomfield and with it, between 10 and 15 new jobs.

"For a city our size, it's excellent," Lowe said.

Lowe said the city is also trying to bring a retail store and gas station/convenience store to the city. Because the city and the businesses are still negotiating, Lowe would not name the companies.

With money gained from adding businesses to the five-acre plot, Lowe said he hopes the city will able to add sidewalks to the many streets lacking them. Eventually, Lowe wants a sidewalk on every street in New Bloomfield and called this initiative his "pet project" that may take up to three or four years to complete.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.