Two Alexander residents are challenging Council Member Juanita Wilson for her seat on the council. Wilson is being opposed by Stephanie Beck and Trevis Bentley. Wilson occupies the Ward-4 Pos-2 seat on the council.
A questionnaire was Emailed to the three candidates. The responses are below.
This is Part-1 of a three part series on the election. Candidates are listed alphabetically.
Stephanie Beck
[Did not respond to questionnaire.]
Trevis Bentley resides at 5168 Woodstream Drive in the Meadow’s Edge subdivision. This is his second attempt to unseat Council Member Juanita Wilson. His first attempt was in 2024. Bentley has not previously held any elected office.
“I am currently employed in an engineering capacity,” said Bentley. “Because of the nature of my employment,” he cannot divulge the name of his employer.
Bentley says Alexander residents deserve better representation than the incumbent is providing.
“I’m running because I believe the citizens of Alexander deserve better and I’m not afraid to say it,” Bentley said. “Public office is not a title. It is not a personal platform. It is a responsibility. When residents elect you to represent them, they place their trust in you to show up, listen, communicate, participate, and most importantly, be accountable for the decisions being made on their behalf.”
Bentley has reviewed Council Member Juanita Wilson’s recent attendance record.
“According to the City of Alexander’s council meeting minutes, our Ward 4 Position 2 representative has not attended a city council meeting since April 20, 2026, and has missed 6 of the 9 council meetings held this year. Why? That is a record the voters have every right to question.”
“The recent felony arrest involving the current representative is also a matter of public record,” Bentley continued. “Let me be clear…..an arrest is not a conviction, and every person is innocent until proven guilty, but public officials should still expect their public record, their participation, and their conduct in office to be examined by the people they serve.”
“For me, the bigger question is simple, are the people of Alexander receiving the level of representation they deserve?” Bentley asked. “You cannot effectively represent the people if you are consistently absent from the room where the city’s business is being conducted. Council meetings are where issues are discussed, decisions are made, concerns are raised, and the interests of residents are represented. That is exactly why I believe we need to raise the standard of public service in Alexander.”
According to the ARCourts website, an arrest warrant was issued for Wilson on June 20, 2026. She was charged with Forgery 2nd Degree. Wilson turned herself in to the Saline County Sheriff’s Department July 1, 2026. She was released the same day on a signature bond.
The forgery charge is related to Wilson obtaining a city credit card in 2023 for the use of then Police Chief Robert Burnett. According to Wilson, Burnett told her Mayor Crystal Herrmann wasn’t allowing him to make purchases using the city credit card. Apparently, signing for the card at the bank is considered forgery.
Despite rumors to the contrary, Wilson is still a member of the Alexander City Council. On advice of council Wilson says she was told not to attend any council meetings until the completion of the trial. According to court documents a jury trial has been set for December 1, 2026.
Despite losing in the 2024 election, Bentley says he continued to stay involved in Alexander affairs.
“I ran for this position before,” Bentley said. “I lost, but I did not disappear. I continued showing up to council meetings, community functions especially for the children, and opportunities to stay involved with the people and the community I wanted to serve.”
Bentley touts his education and work experience as vital to serving the Alexander community.
“My professional background has prepared me to serve this position with a level of discipline, accountability, and problem-solving that I believe is essential for effective local government,” Bentley began. “I hold a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Southern University and A&M College, and I have more than 16 years of engineering experience in Arkansas.”
“My career has required me to work with contractors, review plans and specifications, monitor construction projects, address problems in the field, document decisions, manage public resources, and ensure that work is performed according to established standards,” he continued. “Those responsibilities have taught me that leadership is more than making decisions. It is about understanding the facts, listening to the people involved, asking the right questions, following through, and being accountable for the outcome.”
Bentley says a council member should be involved in the community.
“I also understand the importance of community involvement,” he said. “I have been involved in community improvement efforts, neighborhood concerns, youth and educational outreach, and efforts to connect residents with local resources. I believe an effective council member must understand both the technical side of city government and the concerns of the people who live here.”
No one will argue with Bentley’s observation that Alexander has a problem with storm water drainage.
“One issue I believe deserves serious attention is Alexander’s drainage and storm water infrastructure,” Bentley says. “As development continues to occur in and around surrounding communities, Alexander must be proactive in identifying available grants and other funding opportunities to upgrade and maintain essential drainage systems.”
“Development changes how water moves across the land,” Bentley continued. “Areas that once absorbed rainfall—such as woods, fields, and other permeable surfaces—can be replaced by homes, streets, driveways, and other impervious surfaces. That can increase the volume and speed of storm water runoff entering existing drainage systems. For a landlocked community like Alexander, planning ahead and investing in adequate infrastructure is critical. I believe the city should not wait until infrastructure fails before addressing these challenges. We should be identifying problem areas, evaluating the capacity of existing systems, pursuing available funding, planning for future development, and making infrastructure decisions based on data and long-term needs.”
To summarize Bentley said he brings a combination of, “professional experience, … attention to details,” … and the ability to, “work with different people.”
“My professional experience has taught me to be prepared, pay attention to details, work with different people, address problems directly, and make decisions based on facts rather than personalities,” Bentley said. “I believe those skills will allow me to bring a practical, professional, and accountable approach to serving Ward 4 and the City of Alexander. I’m not coming to the council with just opinions. I’m bringing experience in engineering, project oversight, problem-solving, public resources, and community involvement and I intend to put that experience to work for the people of Alexander.”
Council Member Juanita Wilson has always lived at her current address since moving to Woodland Hills in July, 1978. Woodland Hills was annexed into the City of Alexander in August, 2006.
For nearly 25 years Wilson was employed as an over-the-road truck driver and held a commercial driver’s license. She had to leave that job to take care of her ailing mother until she passed away about two years later in 1998. She began working in home health care in 2000 and eventually retired in 2016.
Wilson added she owned and operated, “Wilson Trucking 15 Yrs,” and was a, “Home health nurse 15 Years.”
By the end of 2026 Wilson will have served a total of 12 years on the city council. She first defeated incumbent Andy Mullins in the 2012 election to represent Ward-2.
Prior to being elected to the city council in 2012, Wilson had not held any other elected position. Wilson first took office on January 1, 2013 and is no stranger to opposition in an election year.
In the 2014 election Mullins took back his seat by defeating Wilson 219 to 209. In the following 2016 election Wilson returned to defeat Mullins again. She has served on the council ever since.
Because the 2020 Census showed wards were unevenly represented, the ward lines were redrawn. The new ward lines became effective in March, 2022. The new ward lines moved Wilson from Ward-2 to Ward-4.
In the 2022 General Election she ran for the Ward-4 Position-2 seat and was opposed by April Cotton. She defeated Cotton and has served in the Ward-4 Position-2 seat since January 1, 2023.
In the 2024 election she was challenged by Trevis Bentley. Wilson won, but Bentley did not respond to the 2024 election questionnaire sent by The Alexandrian.
During the 2013/2014 term on the council, Wilson became a Certified Municipal Official under the Arkansas Municipal League program.
Wilson says she supported improvements to the city and occasionally filled in for absent employees at city hall. She said she, “Helped with city getting infrastructure needed badly. Helped pass legislation that made our parks and streets, fire and other things that our whole city was in need of. Was a city volunteer for many years, helped in city hall when employees were ill, so we did not have to pay someone to replace them, etc..”
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