There is finally some news about why Ward 2 Director Ken Richardson has not been seen at a Little Rock Board of Directors meeting since the middle of May.
In a press release Thursday, the city of Little Rock disclosed that Richardson has been hospitalized while recovering from multiple surgeries.
From Thursday’s press release:
“After speaking with the Richardson family, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. shared that over the past few months, Director Richardson has undergone multiple life-threatening surgeries and is currently still hospitalized. He must clear significant hurdles in his recovery before he can return to his duties and continue serving the city he loves.”
The city did not release any details about the nature of the surgeries, Richardson’s health or when he would return to his public duties, but said he is on track to fully recover.
The release included a statement from Richardson to the residents of Ward 2: “I have not abandoned you. I look forward to resuming the work I have previously done and completing the projects we started together.”
Richardson has previously disclosed that he suffers from epilepsy and once collapsed at a Little Rock Board of Directors meeting. It is not clear if those issues are related to his current hospitalization.
Richardson is one of 10 directors that serve on the city board, the policy-making body for Little Rock that meets every Tuesday. Seven directors represent each ward in Little Rock with three at-large directors representing the city as a whole.
Richardson has represented Ward 2, which covers part of southeast Little Rock, since 2007. He’s serving his fifth term on the board and is up for reelection in 2026.
The last board meeting Richardson attended was a special called meeting on May 14. As of Aug. 2, Richardson has missed eight voting meetings and eight agenda-setting meetings this year. No one has been voting in Richardson’s place during his absence. For board votes, he has been counted as not present.
There are no indications that Richardson has plans to step down.
Next Tuesday, the city board will meet in its meeting chambers in City Hall for the first time in years for its regularly scheduled voting meeting. The board has been meeting at the Centre at University Park since mid-2020 while the chambers were being renovated.