Little Rock, Arkansas – Little Rock voters rejected two proposed sales tax increases meant to support major citywide upgrades. Tuesday’s vote turned down the two tax proposals, a permanent ⅜-cent increase and a temporary ⅝ increase for the next 10 years, marking the second time in recent years that locals have rejected a citywide tax raise.
With 44,119 votes against and 29,892 in favor, the unofficial count from the Pulaski County Board of Election Commissioners shows 56.62% of voters opposed the permanent ⅜-cent hike. Aimed to expire after 10 years, the planned ⅝-cent rise encountered even more opposition; 60% of votes, or 46,753 people, rejected it against 27,279 in support.
These two policies taken together would have increased the general sales tax rate of the city to 9.625%, making Little Rock’s rate among the highest in the region. If passed, the tax hike was expected to bring around almost $650 million over the next ten years to support projects in parks, public safety, infrastructure, and the Port of Little Rock.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., who has supported the tax proposals as necessary to improve the infrastructure and quality of living in the city, expressed disappointment at the outcome.
“While we are disappointed in today’s sales tax results, we respect the decision of Little Rock voters,” Mayor Frank Scott Jr. posted on social media. “We will continue to improve quality of life and place initiatives and keep moving forward to take Little Rock to higher heights.”
Courtesy of Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. via X
The mayor’s spokesperson, Aaron Sadler, echoed this sentiment after the election, indicating that while the proposed funding method was rejected, the city would seek alternative ways to address its needs. “The city plans to be more creative in seeking out funding opportunities while at the same time continuing to provide a quality level of services that our residents expect,” Sadler said to Arkansas Advocate.
Currently serving his second term and known as Little Rock’s first popularly elected Black mayor, Mayor Scott has consistently advocated a sales tax hike since he sees it as a vital source of funding for the city’s strategic initiatives. These most recent actions were a modified version of a tax proposal that failed to muster enough support from the Little Rock Board of Directors to even qualify for the ballot last year. Voters in a special election turned down a comparable 1-cent sales tax increase in 2021 with 62% voting against it.
Little Rock-based grassroots charity Arkansas Community Organizations (ACO) vocally opposed the latest ideas. Arguing that the tax increases would not sufficiently solve urgent problems like affordable housing and homelessness, ACO has regularly expressed concerns about the spending priorities of the city.
“I am glad that the sales tax did not go through because there was not enough to address the housing and homelessness in our city,” ACO member Norma Huffman said in a statement Wednesday. “A sports complex is not something we really need. And it is hard for many of us to make ends meet right now.”
Former Little Rock Big Country Chateau apartment complex resident Huffman has been a vocal supporter of better city housing circumstances. She has routinely appeared at demonstrations and gatherings to draw attention to housing shortages and exhorts authorities to give policies supporting underprivileged citizens top priority.
Under what Mayor Scott referred to as the “Four Ps,” Parks and recreation, public safety, public infrastructure, and the Port of Little Rock formed part of his greater strategy to enhance the infrastructure and services of the city. His government has long maintained that Little Rock’s facilities, backlog of repair, and attraction for new big companies and development to the area depend on more money. Many people, however, have expressed concerns that the tax increases would cause unnecessary hardship for already financially strapped households dealing with growing living expenses.
Credit: Unsplash
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For now, the city has to pursue these goals without the expected $650 million in financing. Local officials are expected to investigate alternate funding sources, maybe through federal grants, public-private partnerships, or budget reallocations to handle projects in parks, safety, and infrastructure without taxing local residents.
This second poll loss highlights the continuous conflict between the urgent interests of resodemts and the aspirations for development of local authorities. Many felt the proposed tax hikes were an intolerable load, particularly in light of fears that some projects—like the proposed sports complex—did not fit the most pressing requirements of the community.
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The latest vote indicates an urgent need for a more inclusive conversation between municipal officials and the public while Little Rock’s leadership thinks about its next steps. Though without the notable increase in income that a sales tax hike may have given, Little Rock’s road forward clearly calls for creativity and teamwork to reach the goals Mayor Scott and his staff are advocating.
