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Prairie Grove council approves resolution to set property tax levy and restore voluntary police and fire millages
Summary
At a special meeting Oct. 30, the Prairie Grove City Council voted to approve a resolution setting the city's property tax levy and submitting it to the Washington County Quorum Court; the council restored previously reduced voluntary millages for police and fire and held a brief announcement period before adjourning.
Prairie Grove's City Council on Oct. 30 approved a resolution to set the city's property tax levy and submit that levy to the Washington County Quorum Court for final action. The council moved the item by voice vote after brief discussion of millage rates and rollback calculations.
A council member explained that the resolution restores one mill earmarked for the police department and a partial mill for the fire department (the transcript states "half a mill or excuse me 510 of a mill"). The council member said the voluntary portion of the tax had been inadvertently lowered last year and that the intent is to restore the voluntary rate to the historic level the city has used (referred to in the meeting as "one and5"). The speaker noted that voluntary taxes generate limited revenue because relatively few property owners opt in.
The council discussed the state or county rollback calculations that govern allowable millage increases. The speaker described the rollback math as confusing, referenced a figure of "4.3" and warned that, in theory, continued growth could push rollback adjustments very low; the speaker also said the council would follow the rules provided by county authorities and could revisit millage levels next year if thresholds allow.
The council called for a motion and second to adopt the resolution; the transcript records a voice vote and the chair declared the motion passed. The meeting record does not include a roll-call tally or individual recorded votes in the transcript provided.
After the vote councilmembers announced community events, including a Trunk or Treat with setup at 4:00 p.m. and gates opening at 5:00 p.m. downtown; the meeting adjourned shortly afterward.
What happens next: the city's adopted levy resolution will be submitted to the Washington County Quorum Court for whatever additional review or formal approval that body provides, per the process referenced in the meeting.
