Fort Smith holding special election in May for city sales tax reauthorization, reallocation
FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A special election in Fort Smith next month will give residents a chance to vote for or against ordinances regarding the city's existing 2% sales and use tax.
Here's what the measures would do, according to the city:
1. Reauthorizing the 2022 3/4-cent Sales and Use Tax
1/8-cent would continue funding the Fort Smith Police Department.
5/8-cent would continue to be allocated to Consent Decree work, which includes federally mandated sewer system improvements.
If approved, this reauthorization would be extended for the term required to pay off bonds, which is projected to be 34 years.
Fort Smith double homicide suspect set to appear in court this week
2. Reauthorizing and Reallocating the 1-cent Sales and Use Tax
Currently, this tax funds streets, bridges, and associated drainage.
Under the proposal, 3/8-cent would be reallocated to Consent Decree work and authorized to pay bonds, while the rest would remain for street and drainage projects.
5/8-cent would continue to be used for Streets, Bridges, and Associated Drainage
3. Bond issuance
Issuing bonds on the combined amount from the reallocation (3/8-cent) and the reauthorization (5/8-cent)
The City would issue bonds to fund up to $360 million in Consent Decree and sewer capital improvement projects.
Bond debt would be structured for repayment over 30 years from the time bonds are issued, which could be shortened if sales tax revenue increases.
The city said these measures do not include new taxes or tax increases. The measures are being proposed to address sewer infrastructure needs as mandated by the federal Consent Decree.
A sample ballot can be found below:
City-of-Fort-Smith-Sample-Ballot-for-ASE2025Download
The special election is scheduled for May 13, and early voting is set to begin on May 6.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
NAACP voices concerns as Ferguson votes to cut funding for consent decree
FERGUSON, Mo. – The NAACP of St. Louis County is raising concerns after the Ferguson City Council voted to cut funding for a 2016 federal consent decree, which mandated sweeping reforms to the city's police and municipal courts after the death of Michael Brown. The decree took effect after years of protests following Brown's death, who was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer in August 2014. According to FOX 2's news partners at the St. Louis Post Dispatch, earlier this week, the Ferguson City Council voted 4-3 to reduce the amount the city spends on the decree. The move aims to cut some decree-related spending for the next fiscal year, starting July 1, from $412,700 to $206,350. NAACP St. Louis County President John Bowman released a statement on Saturday to FOX 2, which reads, in part: 'While we can acknowledge the efforts made over the last nine years by all parties, particularly the community in learning to trust Ferguson's law enforcement officers, elected officials, and community leaders, there is still a long way to go. Trying to escape the federal consent decree too soon by cutting the budget and rushing remaining mandatory reforms says that you prioritize checking off boxes over achieving the necessary results to make Ferguson safer and more united.' He added that cutting funding says the council prioritizes 'checking off boxes' over achieving results. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Madison County honors WWII veterans celebrating 100+ years of life
MADISON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — On June 5, four World War II veterans from Madison County, each over 100 years old, were honored with a birthday celebration at the county's senior activity center. They were just teenagers when they served; only 16, 17 and 18 years old. Many of them weren't drafted but volunteered. Now, eight decades later, they're being celebrated not just for their service, but for their lives. The event was filled with patriotic decorations, birthday balloons and a room packed with friends, family and fellow veterans. 'It was wonderful,' said organizer Jannie Layne. 'This place was packed.' The honorees included 100-year-old Marine Corps veteran Loy Watson, 102-year-old Denton Grubbs, 100-year-old William Bowling and 100-year-old W.J. Combs. 'You know, a lot of these young fellows…. you never know much about the war,' Watson said. 'Somebody then tells you.' Rogers School District auctions tiny house made by students; money to be reinvested in the program Hubert Combs traveled from Tennessee to celebrate with his brother W.J. Combs 'It's about the freedom we enjoy, the freedom they helped maintain,' said Hubert Combs, a veteran himself. Over sweet tea, birthday cake and heartfelt speeches, the day was both a tribute and a reunion. The original celebration expanded beyond the four centenarians, as 10 to 12 other veterans in attendance were also honored. 'It makes me makes me cry, makes me so emotional to think about all the things that these men went through and their families went through,' Layne said. 'We got to honor them in a little way to say thank you.' The celebration served as a powerful reminder of what journalist Tom Brokaw famously called 'the greatest generation any society has ever produced.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Senator Tom Cotton seeks ban on foreign nationals in agriculture research
WASHINGTON (KNWA/KFTA) — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has introduced the Biothreat Prevention Act, legislation that would ban federal funding to any lab or university conducting agricultural research involving nationals from China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, or North Korea. 'Foreign terrorists that seek to poison and destroy America's food supply should not have access to American labs and universities,' said Senator Cotton. This comes after two Chinese researchers were charged with smuggling a fungus known to be a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into the U.S. The bill is designed to limit potential threats to U.S. agriculture by restricting foreign nationals from working on sensitive or federally funded agricultural research projects. ag_security_bill_65251Download In 2020, a University of Arkansas professor was arrested for wire fraud and pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI after receiving a grant from NASA. Multiple case studies across the United States can be found on a Virginia Tech research page. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
