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Fort Smith board orders special election on sales-tax reauthorization to fund sewer work under consent decree
Summary
The Fort Smith City Board of Directors voted unanimously May 6 to place a sales and use tax reauthorization/reallocation measure on a special election ballot to fund sewer system work tied to the federal consent decree; supporters said the plan avoids new tax rates and sewer-rate hikes while opponents had urged fiscal restraint.
The Fort Smith City Board of Directors voted 7-0 on May 6 to direct a special election that will ask voters to realign and reauthorize available city sales and use taxes to fund long-term sewer system work connected to the city's federal consent decree.
Why it matters: The ballot measure would allow the city to use existing sales-tax dollars for bond-financed construction or other funding approaches to accelerate sewer repairs required by the consent decree. City officials and citizens argued the measure would avoid a large sewer-rate increase while opponents urged oversight and restraint.
Board members said the measure is intended to give the city a financing mechanism to address an estimated multi-year construction program without imposing a new sales-tax rate or an immediate sewer-rate increase. In remarks to the board, a citizen who identified himself as Baer said a successful vote would let the city issue bonds and pay them down without a tax-rate increase; he said citizens could hold the city accountable through citizen oversight committees.
Walter Echols, chairman of the Sales Tax Review Committee, told the board the citizen committee has reviewed quarterly reports of sales-tax collections and expenditures and voted each quarter to accept the city's reports; Echols said the committee found expenditures from January 2022 through December 2024 were made for the purposes approved by voters or by prior Board resolutions.
Mayor and board members discussed oversight and outreach to reassure voters. Director comments noted the consent-decree schedule, the city's recent pace of construction work and the need for a financing plan that allows more work to be completed sooner.
The board approved the resolution directing a special election; the clerk announced vote tally 7 in favor and 0 opposed. Early voting and election logistics were stated by staff after the vote.
Ending: With the board's vote, the measure will appear on the special election ballot; board members and staff said they would pursue additional public outreach and continue negotiations with federal and state agencies on time and scope if the measure passes.
