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Maumelle mayor and staff explain bond-refunding question and how it enables six ballot projects
Summary
City officials said Question 1 on the March ballot would allow Maumelle to issue new bonds and roll older debt into a new pledge of the half-cent sales tax so voters can separately approve up to six projects; the city emphasized the question does not shift money among those project line items.
Maumelle Mayor Caleb Doris told residents that Question 1 on the upcoming March ballot is a technical bond-refunding vote that will permit the city to issue new debt, pay off an outstanding 2018 bond and reassign the existing half-cent sales tax pledge to repay newly issued bonds. "If you vote in favor of one or more projects, you're going to want to be in favor of the refunding question," he said, noting the sales tax rate would not rise above its current level if voters approve the measures.
Leette, who identified herself as "with Stevens," explained the legal mechanics: the 2018 bonds supporting White Oak Crossing remain outstanding and investors rely on the pledged tax for repayment; Question 1 would allow the city to borrow for the new projects while retiring the old debt. "It permits the city to issue new debt which will pay off the 2018 investors and rededicate that tax to repay the new bonds which enables you to borrow for questions two through six," she said.
City staff emphasized that Question 1 only makes the tax pledge available to secure new bonds; it does not increase or reassign the amounts listed on each ballot question. When a resident asked whether voting yes on Question 1 and yes on only one project would send all available money to that project, staff replied the city is limited to the amount printed for each ballot item and the shared element across questions is the 0.5% sales tax pledge.
Officials also walked through the timing: if the measures pass in March, staff expects to issue bonds in mid-summer and begin funding approved projects in July or August. For context, the city reported the half-cent sales tax generated $1,278,000 in calendar year 2018 and grew to about $1,897,000 in calendar year 2025, reflecting local sales growth since the prior issuance.
Election Day is March 3; early voting begins Feb. 17. The city asked residents with follow-up questions to visit maumellebond.com for project details and FAQs or attend the upcoming question-specific public meetings.
