A bustling crowd of about 300 funneled into the theater at the the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Thursday evening to hear Mayor Frank Scott Jr’s annual State of the City address.
Scott didn’t drop any major announcements as surprising as the sales tax proposal in his 2023 address, but he did reveal a handful of new features coming soon to the city related to government transparency, employee satisfaction and improved quality of life. Among them is the “ROCKfolio,” which would include a way for residents to review the city and an “open checkbook” data system where city salaries and contracts would be available to view.
The mayor also reaffirmed his intention to push again for a sales tax increase this November. His efforts to put a 1-cent tax on the ballot last year fizzled out in August, but Scott said at the time he intended to try again in 2024.
Little Rock’s shiny new arts museum made for a fine place to give the State of the City address, though the program got off to an awkward beginning. Participants stood through a lengthy prayer, a full presentation of the colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem sung by someone off-stage and the Pledge of Allegiance again, this time in Spanish. The mayor’s chief of staff, Kendra Pruitt, also took to the stage to give her appreciation to city employees.
A pre-recorded video included remarks on Scott’s tenure as mayor by prominent local figures like former state Senator Joyce Elliott, Little Rock superintendent Jermall Wright and business mogul Warren Stephens. All the introductions and ceremonial bits took about 30 minutes, which left Scott with an hour for his address, based on the scheduled time on the RSVP page. (There was also a nearly 20-minute video compilation of recent city developments that played like a trailer before things even got started.)
Perhaps the most well-received part of Scott’s speech was when he announced an update to how city employees would be able to access their pay in the near future. Instead of waiting for a scheduled payday, Scott said, employees will have access to their earned wages ahead of time if needed. The new system, which is expected to launch later this spring, should offer more flexibility for people who are struggling financially.
“If you’ve been in a family that lives paycheck to paycheck, you know what I’m talking about,” he said.
Scott also announced an expansion of the city’s summer youth employment program. Instead of connecting young people with local jobs only in the summer months, Scott said the program would be available year-round starting in 2025. The program — dubbed the “Little Rock Career Climb” — is possible through partnerships with the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Little Rock School District and UA-Pulaski Tech. It focuses on people ages 16 to 21.
Another feature Scott said would be coming soon was “Neighborhood Pulse,” a collaboration with the city’s Department of Community Programs and local nonprofits that he said would “breathe new life in our neighborhoods” through encouraging new recreation areas, murals and improved lighting.
Other coming developments include a minority-owned business map and a new portal where people experiencing homelessness could find available rental properties, Scott announced.
“And while we are talking about housing, I am sick and tired of landlords not holding up their end of the deal for the tenants in our city,” Scott said. “It breaks my heart that residents of our great city are paying rent, but still have no running water. … We will do whatever within our power to restore dignity and integrity to living in Little Rock.”
Scott also touched on remembrances of the March 2023 tornado, recent economic development announcements, a decrease in homicides, the Real Time Crime Center and the reboot of his 1-cent sales tax proposal.
“We are committed to showing more results for the Rock, but we all know more results require more capital; more money,” Scott said referencing the sales tax. “Our aspirations can only go as far as our money does, and [the] status quo doesn’t get us very far.”
Scott also took time to recognize the late Bruce Moore, who served as city manager for more than 20 years.
As things were winding down, Scott left the crowd with this sentiment: “We are Arkansas’s capital city, so let’s act like it. We need more pride in our hearts and swagger in our step. As we work toward more results for the Rock, let’s raise our standards and cultivate a sense of pride and progress within ourselves.”