Strawberry Mayor Stanley Mayland has officially announced his candidacy for re-election in the 2026 mayoral race. Mayland, who has served in various roles within the city for nearly three decades, has been the city’s mayor since April 2024.
Before his appointment as mayor, Mayland spent 26 years as an alderman on the Strawberry City Council and 20 years as chief of the volunteer fire department. His promotion to mayor came after the resignation of his predecessor, and under his leadership, the city has experienced a series of notable developments.
After taking office, Mayland faced serious financial challenges when a state-mandated audit in 2024 revealed the City of Strawberry was operating with a $12,000 deficit. Through measures aimed at eliminating wasteful spending, he was able to help the city achieve a financial surplus of $40,000 by 2025, as noted in the following year's state audit. Mayland credited these efforts for the significant improvement in the city’s fiscal health.
During his tenure, Mayland also worked to secure a $240,000 grant from the Arkansas Street Fund, which allowed for the repaving of several city streets. In addition, he oversaw the implementation of new technologies for the city’s Water Department. Online bill pay through Nexbill and CenterPoint Accounting Software greatly improved water meter reading accuracy, bringing the error rate close to zero. The mayor also successfully wrote a grant application for an Arkansas Rural Development Grant, which provided funding for the fire department to purchase a new side-by-side rescue vehicle.
“I walked into a very bad financial situation due to wasteful spending, but in just two short years, we’ve completely turned around and have made significant progress,” Mayland said. “I’d like to continue to make progress for the City of Strawberry.”
Mayland expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve his community and asked for the support of voters in the November election.