Lake City Sees Growth, Opportunity For Future

Jon Milligan said Wednesday that he likes the small town feel of his hometown, Lake City.

The second-term mayor said the Craighead County municipality has seen growth in the past several years with people working on several expansion projects.

According to Census Bureau numbers, the town has added 120 people in the past three years, with an estimated population of 2,210, and growth all over town.

A new school, Riverside High School, was built in 2012 along Arkansas 18 while several subdivisions have sprouted up along the highway in recent years.

The school also recently received word that its sports programs will move to Class AAA with the 2016-17 school year, up from Class AA.

Many of the people who live in Lake City commute to work every day. A husband might work in Blytheville at a steel mill, while the wife may work at one of the factories in Jonesboro, Milligan said.

The town’s city limits are also within minutes of several large Jonesboro manufacturers and food companies, like Butterball, Nestle and Frito-Lay in Jonesboro.

In addition, the town has a grocery store, gas station and several restaurants along Arkansas 18.

Milligan said his town draws some sales tax revenue from people who work at the factories and eat lunch in Lake City.

However, the town does benefit from its proximity to Jonesboro, Milligan said.

“I told Mayor (Harold) Perrin that Jonesboro is the hub and we all feed off that hub,” Milligan said.

GROWTH
Milligan noted that the growth of Jonesboro and Arkansas State University have helped to spur economic growth in smaller towns like Lake City.

Milligan said infrastructure needs play a huge role in the city’s budget and projects.

The city recently received a $98,000 grant to redo its parks system, with work to make all of the city’s parks ADA compliant, building two new tennis courts and building a new park on Stone Street.

The Stone Street park is key because of growth on Arkansas 18, Milligan said.

There are currently no parks in that part of town and children have to cross a five-lane highway to get to other parks and the nearby high school to play basketball, Milligan said.

The city has also begun operating its own garbage collection service this year, attempting to keep the costs low and operating the system in-house.

Milligan said officials are also working on a unique project.

Wells Fargo donated a two-bedroom home in the middle of town to the city. City officials are working with the Craighead County Veterans Office to try to move a veteran into the nearly $60,000 home for about a third of that cost.

Milligan said officials with the veterans office will sort through the applications, with the veteran being selected.

The application process has been fierce, Milligan said, noting officials are trying to get the veteran moved into the home as early as July.

The city also saw an increase in its sales tax revenues in March.

Milligan said the city collected about $41,000 that month, nearly double what is collected on a monthly basis.

He credited the increase in revenues to lower gas prices and people having more disposable income. Milligan also said the increase in revenues helps to fund basic services like water/sewer or garbage collection.

WORKFORCE, EDUCATION AND VOLUNTEERISM
Milligan said the city has worked in recent years to try to keep up with growth.

A key part of the situation involves working together, noting residents take pride in the town as well as the school.

“The workforce is key, education is key,” Milligan said of the future.

As for the present, Milligan said officials have worked to take care of basic needs like water/sewer, streets and getting rid of dilapidated buildings.

The town received the Arkansas Volunteer Community of the Year award in 2009, in the aftermath of an ice storm that pounded the town.

The volunteer spirit continues, Milligan said.

“You have to take pride in your town and make it the best you can. We are blessed to have good people working for the city, like the city council and the clerk,” Milligan said.