Bono Lake costs, future focus of debate between Craighead County Judge candidates

If Republican Jeff Presley is elected as Craighead County’s next judge, the long planned Bono Lake project may not be completed as it originally envisioned.

During a debate sponsored by the Kiwanis Club on Wednesday in Jonesboro, Presley said a park around the lake might entice drug dealers to do their bidding, and the costs of transforming the landscape around the lake might be too great, he said. Officers would have to constantly monitor the area, and the price to the county could be enormous, he said.

“Do we have to keep pouring money into it?” Presley asked the crowd rhetorically.

Craighead County Judge Ed Hill, D-Jonesboro, told Talk Business & Politics he was surprised by Presley’s statement. If he’s elected to a fourth-term, the project will move forward, he said.

“I’m really not sure what he’s thinking on that,” Hill said.

When pressed further about about the project, Presley said it’s “eating up tax dollars,” and the county had more pressing safety issues. It would be foolhardy to continue to pour money into the project, he added. Presley didn’t say if he would try to completely keep the public away from the lake if elected. The lake has been opened to the public for more than a year.

The idea of building a lake in Bono began in the late 1990s. Planners hoped a lake could provide flood control and become a potential recreational spot just west of Jonesboro. Residents agreed to a countywide, 1/2-cent sales tax for the last three months of 2007. The temporary tax generated nearly $3.5 million for the lake project.

“Nearly 73% of voters approved the tax … that tells me 73% of residents want the lake,” Hill said.

The 75-acre lake was completed in 2015. It cost $4.5 million, according to the county. The county doled the rest of the money for the project, Hill said. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission had jurisdiction over the area until the deed to the lake was transferred to the county two weeks ago, Hill said.

Many improvements remain unfinished, however. AG&F built a concrete ramp, and there is a gravel parking lot. Walking, biking, hiking, and equestrian trials have yet to be built. Some grass and trees have been planted, but much more needs to be done, Hill admitted.

Playgrounds have not been constructed, and neither have other basic amenities. How much those improvements will cost, and how they will be paid for has not been determined, Hill said. Until the property was transferred back to the county, grants and other funding mechanisms could not be sought, he said. Local clubs, organizations, or businesses might sponsor certain projects within the lake project.

The county is finishing a road to the lake, located just off Craighead County 361. Fishing boats will be allowed on the lake, but it’s not big enough for larger boats, he said. Some want a walking trail from local residential developments in Bono to the lake, and Hill said that’s a possibility.

“If I get re-elected I’ll do what I can to get the project finished,” Hill said.

Presley launched several attacks against Hill, noting the county hasn’t had a mitigation plan in place for at least three years. With no mitigation plan, the county may have lost grant money, he said.

Hill said the county may have lost grant money, but the county has received $10 million in grants during his administration. A mitigation plan would cost $50,000, and Hill didn’t want residents to foot the bill, he said. The county recently received a $40,000 grant for a mitigation plan, meaning the county will only pay $10,000, Hill added.

Presley pressed Hill again, telling the judge he’s filed an Arkansas Freedom of Information request with his office to disclose the “lineup of grants” and was told three days later there was no document in which there was a lineup of grants listed. Hill told Presley he could visit the judge’s office and his staff would get him whatever documentation he wanted.