01 Jun 2025 A community that is planning with purpose, leading with heart

By Mayor Chris Treat

In Bryant, we know that true progress doesn’t happen by chance — it’s built with purpose, guided by values, and rooted in service. As one of the fastest-growing cities in Central Arkansas, we’ve spent the past year laying the groundwork to ensure that our growth reflects the heart of our community and benefits everyone who calls Bryant home.

Bryant holds deep personal significance for me, not only as the mayor but also as someone raised here. Living near City Hall allows me to walk to work and reflect on the dedication of those who shaped Bryant into a wonderful place. Community is built through intention, sacrifice and insight. I am thankful for those who came before us and want to do right by those who will come after us. 

I’m also thankful my parents decided to raise their family in Bryant. I wholeheartedly believe in our community’s values. This city is more than my workplace; it’s where my children grew up, where I shop, and where I connect with neighbors daily. Leading Bryant is a personal commitment, and I strive to build a future we can collectively cherish.

2024 was a year of planning and preparation. With growth comes responsibility, and we responded by developing the 2025-2026 Strategic Plan, built on four pillars: vision, leadership, problem solving and economic development. This plan outlines our approach to long-term infrastructure funding, stormwater improvements, public safety support, and economic vitality.

We also launched the Municipal Funding Committee, made up of four residents and four City Council members. Their task: explore sustainable ways to fund Bryant’s future. That includes identifying long-term solutions for roads, stormwater systems, and essential services — challenges that are growing right alongside our population.

At the center of this work is the culture we’re building, one rooted in the idea of “We Over Me.” It’s a value lived out every day by our city staff, who serve with humility and dedication. Whether responding to storm damage, maintaining public spaces, or managing daily operations, they are the hands and feet of progress in Bryant.

That spirit of service also fuels Bless Bryant, a citywide volunteer initiative launching in 2025. After a successful pilot in Ward 3, we’re expanding to all wards. Through partnerships with FamilyLife Arkansas and Bryant High School’s Student Senate, residents will be connected to hands-on ways to help their local nonprofits — because community starts with showing up for one another.

We’ve also strengthened how we communicate. Through tools like the Mayor’s Memorandum and the monthly City Council Recap, residents now receive regular updates that include public meeting minutes, director reports, financial documents, and more. Our Community Engagement Committee hosted its first Town Hall in April and is planning more opportunities for residents to ask questions and share feedback face-to-face.

In Bryant we’re not just reacting to growth, we’re planning for it, guiding it, and doing it with our community, not to it. Our vision is strong. Our people are committed. And the foundation we’re laying today will support the Bryant of tomorrow.

We’re planning with purpose — and we’re leading with heart. Together, we’re building something that lasts.