Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — June 23, 2025 — The residency status of a Jonesboro City Council member is being questioned after online real estate records suggest the council member has moved out of the ward he was elected to serve.

Ward 5, Position 1 council member L.J. Bryant (BRYANT LARRY J II AND REBEKAH L) sold his home at 1010 Wildberry Cove on May 13, 2025, for $540,000. The Wildberry Cove home was located within the boundaries of Ward 5.

On June 4, 2025, Bryant (BRYANT CHERI, BRYANT REBEKAH AND L.J.) purchased a home at 3821 Riviera (Ridgepointe Subdivision) for $789,900. Bryant confirmed to Jonesboro Right Now on Friday that he and his family are living in the Riviera home.

“I’m currently staying in a house my entire family owns at 3821 Riviera. I have been there maybe six weeks,” Bryant wrote. Riviera is located within the boundaries of Ward 1.

“You will see on the deed my family bought Riviera as we all buy many properties together,” Bryant continued. “It’s a short-term hold flip.”

Online real estate records show that other ownership entities, including Bryant, also own properties at 1100 Dupwe, 1705 Culberhouse, 808 Parkview, 605 Elizabeth, 614 West Jefferson and 3709 Griffin, none of which are located in Ward 5. Bryant has listed another address in various political filings in the past, 3009 Turman, which is located within Ward 5 boundaries. The Turman property appears to be commercial property.

Bryant’s lack of current residency within the ward he was elected to serve appears to violate Arkansas law regarding residency. The Arkansas Code of 1987 (2024), Title 14, Subtitle 3, Chapter 43, Subchapter 3, Section 14-43-310 – Council member ceasing to reside in ward states “If any duly elected council member shall cease to reside in the ward from which he or she was elected, that person shall be disqualified to hold the office and a vacancy shall exist which shall be filled as prescribed by law.”

When questioned about Bryant’s residency status, City Attorney Carol Duncan said she believes a 2011 Arkansas court case involving City of Lepanto Mayor candidate Steve Jernigan gives Bryant some grace. Duncan says the Jernigan case allowed the candidate “to establish residency by showing domiciliary intent in the requisite location.” Duncan said she had advised Bryant that “so long as he intended to move back into his ward, he would be good.”

Mayor Harold Copenhaver said Friday he had been made aware of Bryant’s residency change. Asked what action if any the city would take in response Copenhaver said “we will follow the law and a state statute that applies.”

In Bryant’s response to Jonesboro Right Now regarding his residency, Bryant remarked “this was the same standard we applied to Councilwoman Ann Williams after she sold the Edge Coffeehouse while she worked on getting back into her ward.” Duncan also referenced the situation involving Williams:

“What I remember about Ann is that there was a period of time after she sold her restaurant that she lived at her parents (home) and helped care for them. She bought the duplex she lives in now and moved back into her ward,” Duncan wrote. “(I’m) not sure what the timeline was on that, but also, I am not sure there is a timeline set out in the law for how long you can be outside your area if your ‘intent’ is to return.”

In his response to JRN, Bryant states he intends to move back to Ward 5. “I intend to live in my ward. I most likely will be building a house and hopefully back in my ward and equally important to me back near Craighead Forest.”

Bryant has 18 months remaining on a four-year term, which ends Dec. 31, 2026.

In 2020, Bryant led the charge to change the way Jonesboro votes for its city council members. Bryant said at the time he didn’t believe electing council members at-large (city-wide) was right. He said the at-large system limits the number of candidates and allows the specific needs of wards to be overlooked.

“I think we should push towards voting by ward … I think it makes for better government,” he told Talk Business and Politics. In November of that year voters approved the plan Bryant crafted. Now, position one council members in each ward are voted on by members of that ward only. Position two members continue to be voted on city-wide (at large). Bryant holds the Ward 5, Position 1 seat.

A former Jonesboro City Council member faced a similar situation in 2014. Then council member Mikel Fears resigned from his Ward 6 council position when he discovered state law required him to live in the ward that he represented. At the time the City Council considered appointing a replacement to serve the remainder of Fears’ term or conduct a special election to elect a new member.

Faced with the projected $25,000 cost for a special election, the council was leaning to appointing a new member. Ultimately the council voted to tack the city’s special election on to the May 2014 primary election thus avoiding the special election cost.