Orman pointed to a range of new developments from 2025 that she said reflected positive momentum for the city. 

The opening of dozens of restaurants and three new hotels — some located on Walmart’s new home office campus — were among the signs of growth she highlighted during her presentation. She said approximately 35 restaurants opened in Bentonville last year.

The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, which Orman described as a “transformative” development for the city, welcomed its inaugural class last year.

She also pointed to last year’s announcements of a new Bentonville healthcare campus and a STEM-focused college, both backed by the Walton family, as promising signs of continued investment in the city.

Several park improvements were also completed during the year, including upgrades at Phillips Park and the opening of the A Street Promenade downtown.

Bentonville also received national media attention, with outlets such as The New York Times, Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler featuring the city as a place to visit.

Orman said the pace of Bentonville’s growth is creating pressure on the city government’s systems and services.

“Growth places real demands on a city,” Orman said. “It increases complexity, raises expectations, and puts pressure on the systems residents depend on every day.”

Demand for emergency services continues to rise as Bentonville grows. In 2025, the police department handled 53,205 calls for service — an 8.14% increase from the previous year. The fire department responded to 16,122 calls, up 14%.

The police department reorganized its patrol zones, expanding from three to five zones and creating a dedicated downtown zone intended to maintain response times and visibility as the city grows, Orman said.

The utility billing department added more than 1,200 accounts last year — more than any other year since 2019. Visits to the library are also up about 25%, totaling more than 400,000 visits in 2025.

Orman complimented the finance department’s flexibility as “revenues fluctuated and rebates created uncertainty.”  

Last year, the city government experienced record-setting tax rebates that triggered a short-term hiring freeze. The state clawed back large sums of money for rebates years after qualifying purchases were made. 

Orman also mentioned infrastructure needs several times throughout the presentation.

“We invested strategically in water, sewer, roads and other critical infrastructure, ensuring our city can support growth responsibly,” she said.

Last year, the city began a major sewage treatment plant upgrade, increased water rates to fund water leak repairs and approved a major financing deal to upgrade sewer infrastructure to allow for more construction in the city.

An additional challenge Orman mentioned is the city government’s need to plan for upcoming retirements and hire new employees in a competitive labor market.

Speaking with The Bentonville Bulletin after her presentation, Orman said her top priority this year is “building capacity” so Bentonville can keep up with continued population and economic growth.

She said that involves upgrading infrastructure and focusing on long-term planning so the city can accommodate new housing, businesses and population growth while maintaining service levels.

“So getting back to the basics a little bit — water, sewer, electric, roads — focusing on all of that and making sure that infrastructure is in the ground so people can be successful here,” she said.