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Centerton council accepts Fuse Corps donation to place two executive fellows; council to pay about $40,000 over two years
Summary
Council approved Resolution 2026-10 to accept two Fuse Corps executive fellows — one focused on economic development and one on stormwater/flood planning — with local contribution discussed at roughly $20,000 per fellow across two years and selection oversight by the city.
The Centerton City Council voted March 10 to accept up to two executive fellows from the nonprofit Fuse Corps to support downtown economic development and stormwater/floodplain planning.
Brandon of Fuse Corps told the council the nonprofit places experienced executives into city governments for two-year assignments and typically secures most salary and recruitment costs through philanthropic funders such as the Walton Foundation. "We increase the capacity and effectiveness of local governments by bringing in some really subsidized funding to identify individuals with 15–25 years of experience to lead projects," Brandon said.
Council members pressed Fuse on cost and control. Brandon said Fuse's funders subsidize roughly $250,000 per fellow per year (covering salary, benefits and recruitment) and that the Walton-supported opportunity for participating Northwest Arkansas cities would require a modest city contribution; council discussion placed Centerton's share at about $10,000 per fellow per year (roughly $20,000 per fellow over two years), or approximately $40,000 for two fellows across the two-year placements.
Brandon also described the hiring and placement process: Fuse will draft a project description based on local needs, run a national recruitment search (with local outreach encouraged), present multiple finalists ("three to five candidates") and include city staff and the mayor in the interview and selection process. The fellows would be Fuse employees embedded in city operations, reporting day-to-day to city staff while Fuse remains the employer.
Council members asked whether Fuse's work would overlap or compete with the city's existing ULI downtown study and how Centerton would preserve local priorities. Brandon said the fellows are intended to help implement existing studies and to coordinate across local initiatives. Several council members expressed support, noting the model could accelerate implementation of the downtown plan and free up staff time.
The council adopted Resolution 2026-10 authorizing the mayor to accept the donation of services and execute necessary agreements. Roll-call votes recorded affirmatives from members in attendance.
Why this matters: The Fuse placement is a relatively low-cost way for Centerton to bring senior capacity for a concentrated implementation period, but it requires active city oversight and a modest budget commitment.
