Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. has a sales tax proposal that voters might just pass.
After several stops and starts (and one big failure) to get Little Rock voters to approve a sales tax increase, the mayor has a plan with a mix of projects that can win voters’ approval.
It’s only May, of course, and there will be a lot of questions to answer before a November election.
Last week, Scott kicked off his latest sales tax push with the first of a series of meetings to begin selling the plan and getting feedback from residents. The city board will eventually need to vote to place the matter on the November ballot, and voters will have the final say.
Called Results in The Rock, the plan would raise the city sales tax by 1% with a portion of the increase sunsetting after 10 years. Consumers in Little Rock now pay 8.625% on most purchases, with 6.5% going to the state, 1% to the county and 1.125% to the city.
Scott’s plan would bring in an estimated $650 million or so over 10 years. The money would mostly go toward public safety, public infrastructure, parks and recreation and economic development, including the Little Rock Port.
If you want more details, check here and here.
The biggest projects on the list are a pair of sports complexes listed at $64 million apiece. The indoor complex would be located near the Clinton Presidential Center, and the outdoor complex would be located at one of two spots in West Little Rock. The idea is that the complexes would serve local leagues but also host tournaments, filling hotel rooms and restaurants.
Scott also proposes turning War Memorial Park into the city’s Central Park, with new walking trails and maybe a coffee shop. The park has languished since the city closed War Memorial Golf Course and the large green space in the middle of the city begs to be turned into something everyone can enjoy. We haven’t heard the details yet, but Scott’s plan to give the place some attention seems to be a move in the right direction.
The proposal has plenty of nuts and bolts too. There’s money for street resurfacing, police technology and a fire station in West Little Rock.
There’s also money for homelessness and affordable housing, important issues that progressive-minded voters might find appealing.
Voters will want to know the details of all of these projects before handing over more money to the city. Why do the sports complexes cost $64 million? What exactly is the city’s plan for affordable housing? How will the money for economic development be spent?
In 2021, voters rejected Scott’s tax plan 62% to 38%, but the environment is different today. That vote came not long after the COVID-19 pandemic hurt the economy and there was nationwide and local social unrest over police brutality. Scott entered office in 2019 with a direction-changing agenda and some people might have cast their votes to voice displeasure with the mayor. A day after Scott’s tax election defeat in 2021, car dealer Steve Landers announced his intention to run against Scott in 2022. That seems like forever ago to me and, since that time, Scott won reelection with nearly 50% of the vote. I suspect the landscape has changed a lot since the last tax election.
Scott’s learned from that defeat too. The new plan doesn’t include an education element that many people found confusing and a new frontier for Arkansas city government. And, while the plan does include $40 million for the Little Rock Zoo, city spokesman Aaron Sadler said it’s “highly unlikely” that would be used for a giraffe exhibit, which had been a sticking point for folks last time. The zoo money would go toward improving some outdated infrastructure and facilities, including an existing bear exhibit, Zoo Director Susan Altrui said.
It’s only May and there’s a long way to go, but I think this tax plan has a chance to win in November.