The one-cent sales tax that will be on the ballot in November topic of debate among city authorities

Little Rock, Arkansas – The Coalition of Little Rock Neighborhoods met on Saturday to go over the benefits and drawbacks of the one-cent sales tax proposed by Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and approved by the Little Rock City Directors on July 30.

Voters will now have the opportunity to choose this tax in the next election in November.

The tax is made up of a permanent ⅜ cent tax and a ⅝ sales tax that expires in ten years.

Scott predicted that the ⅝ cent tax hike would bring in $650 million over a ten-year period.

The money will be used to upgrade public safety, parks and recreation, public infrastructure, the port, and economic development in the city.

Virgil Miller, the director of Little Rock City, stated, “I support the one cent sales tax.”
Miller discussed his thoughts on the tax and mentioned that inflation is one of the reasons he supports it.

Examine it within your own family. We are aware that in order to function, we need additional money. We are aware that things rise. We’ve been expected to do a lot with the resources we have, but, to be honest, we don’t have enough to complete everything,” Miller remarked.

There are many who oppose the tax, despite the fact that many support it.

Wendell Griffen, a retired judge, stated that he is against sales taxes because they are regressive.
Griffen centered his case on the amount of tax revenue allocated to law enforcement.

“When you look at the proposal about 17% of that 2/3 of a billion dollars is going into policing,” Griffen stated.

Griffen disagrees with the estimated $15 million allocated to community policing.

“When you just now come to community policing 15 years after the first data shared, community policing is what people do, you are late to the game,” Griffen stated.

“You cannot begin a race fifteen years after it begins and hope to overtake the field by playing catch-up. Griffen remarked, “Not with your money, not with mine.