A sales tax increase in Little Rock will be on the ballot in November

Little Rock, Arkansas – The Little Rock Board of Directors agreed on Tuesday to place Mayor Frank Scott Jr.’s sales tax plan on the November ballot.

The mayor finally received a response after months of talks with officials and citizens to illustrate what a 1% tax hike may entail for the city.

After a few minor changes were made to the sales tax proposal, there was some public debate regarding whether more should be added.

“I wish to have some amendments to get some money for infrastructure and a couple of other things,” said Vice Mayor Kathy Webb.

For weeks, Vice Mayor Webb has pushed for the sales tax proposal to include more funding. She requested $5 million be allocated to infrastructure and economic development.

The directors decided to authorize a reallocation after substantial debate. Five million dollars will go into infrastructure and the construction of a new sports complex.

After that, Scott invited community participation. A few people who supported the tax said they wanted to build a new sports center and keep making investments in the community.

Some opposed the tax hike unless funds from the police department were reallocated to other departments.

The board took a vote following more than an hour of public testimony.

With the exception of Directors Ken Richardson, who was not present, and Joan Adcock, who voted “present,” all directors voted in favor of the proposal.

This implies that the sales tax will now be decided by Little Rock voters in the November election.

Should voters accept the tax increase, it would produce around $650 million for city projects over a ten-year period.

According to Scott, the tax will contribute to the transformation of the city, emphasizing parks, infrastructure, public safety, and economic growth.

“The best way to do this is to focus on the sales tax,” Scott said. “Which mirrors the overall growth that we’ve seen in Oklahoma City. We can take a page out of their playbook to continue to move and grow our city forward together.”