Now 16 years into the job, Centerton Mayor Bill Edwards has decided not to seek re-election.

On Friday, Edwards threw his support behind the man he hopes will replace him, endorsing City Council member Cliff Thompson, saying his “integrity, experience and dedication to serving the citizens makes him exceptionally qualified.”

Thompson is at least the second candidate to enter the race after fellow Council Member Wendy Henson announced her campaign in February. Voters will pick the next mayor in November.

Edwards said his wife, Elizabeth, is nearing retirement from J.B. Hunt, where he also worked before becoming mayor. His 68th birthday is in December. Both factored into his decision not to seek re-election.

“Change is good sometimes, and we've done a lot, got a lot of things in place. But I’d really like to have some more time for myself. Being the mayor is a 24-hour gig,” Edwards said, speaking outside the event where he endorsed Thompson.

“I'm very accessible to people,” he started to explain, before pausing to help someone find the entrance to the building.

During Edwards’ time in office, the population of Centerton has nearly tripled, from 9,515 to an estimated 25,745.

Notable projects include opening a new city hall building and passing a major bond measure. Efforts are also underway to design a new downtown core and build a community center.

Parks updates completed during his tenure include the construction of Cornerwoods Park, along with upgrades to the Kinyon Sports Complex.

Recently, he’s been dealing with the fallout from state health officials putting a block on development until the city finds a way to increase its sewage treatment capacity. (Edwards said, quite optimistically, that “we'll have that resolved real soon.”) 

The Bentonville Bulletin asked if the job has gotten harder during his tenure. 

"Nah, I don't think so," he said cheerfully, before conceding that yes, “the hours are longer.” 

Edwards might be the mayor of Centerton, but he’s the king of local Facebook.

He has 5,000 “friends” on his personal profile — the platform’s limit — and keeps additional requests in a queue rather than denying them.

“If somebody drops off or something, because they do, I got people waiting,” he said.

He also has about 7,000 followers on his official mayoral Facebook page.

So far this year, he’s averaged more than 20 posts a week across the two accounts, sharing city government updates alongside posts about his step count, his cooking abilities and an AI-generated image of himself styled as a leprechaun for St. Patrick’s Day.

But he’s not just posting — he’s responding, too, answering questions in the comments on his own posts and chiming in on debates in various local Facebook groups.

“I watch what’s going on and see what everybody’s feedback is and everything,” he said.

There has been chatter online that Edwards may run for the city clerk position, which will also be on the ballot in November. 

Edwards hasn’t made an official announcement that he’s running for the position, but said Friday that he is considering it.

The role is a part-time, largely administrative elected position that handles recordkeeping and related city council meeting tasks. A newly elected city clerk would make $8,000 annually, compared to the mayor’s $130,000 salary.

If he runs and is elected city clerk, Edwards suggested he could continue applying for grants on behalf of the city government, in addition to the position’s other responsibilities. That is, if the new mayor wants him to.

“If they don't, that's okay. It's the mayor's choice. I don't want to interfere,” he said.