ARLINGTON — It’s become a two-man race for Dick Butner’s former seat on the Arlington City Council. Mike Hopson tossed his hat into the ring for Position 6.

Hopson ran in 2013 against fellow newcomers Scott Keith and Jan Schuette for the open Position 7 seat, which Schuette won. Jacob Kukuk had already filed for the seat.

Although Hopson in continuing to run on a platform of fiscal responsibility, transparency in government, and fostering manufacturing and industrial jobs, this election cycle has seen him adopt a few new issues.

As a member of the Arlington Municipal Airport Commission, Hopson expressed concerns over recent findings by the State Auditor’s Office, as well as complaints that were filed with the Federal Aviation Administration.

“Some of these involved the city and the mayor, regarding possible conflicts of interest,” Hopson said. “It just didn’t look good.”

To limit the possibility of such conflicts, Hopson has proposed having the airport commission appoint the airport staff, including the airport manager, rather than having the city hire those personnel.

“I’ve heard more extreme proposals, to turn the airport into a port like Skagit, but this is a much easier fix,” Hopson said. “The city would still appoint the commissioners, but it would remove some of the potential pressure from the city.

“It puts the airport manager in a difficult position, to have to negotiate with the city for fire and police services, while being beholden to the city for hiring him,” he added

In the two years since he last ran for office, Hopson has become more acutely aware of the homeless in Arlington.

“You can’t put all these people into one big category,” Hopson said. “There are some who have problems with drugs, which is why I support programs to address that, but there are also people living in their cars, and even raising children, because we’re in a low-wage economy that doesn’t allow them to afford housing.”

To that end, Hopson has called for the city to implement zoning and tax incentives that would favor converting homes into accessory or “cottage” housing, complete with mother-in-law quarters and spare rooms.

“Having a roof over your head, a warm bed and a hot shower does so much to help you get back on your feet,” Hopson said.

Hopson has also heard concerns about police interactions with the homeless, and while he emphasized that he’s never witnessed anything, he believes more training would make for a good preventive measure.

“I can’t say we’ve had any incidents yet, but I want to make sure we don’t have any,” Hopson said.

Hopson touted all these proposals as not only ethical, but also economically beneficial to the city.

You may visit Hopson’s campaign site at www.facebook.com/SupportersOfMikeHopson.