1% petition signatures submitted; decision awaits

story by Aric Mitchell
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Eddie York, owner of Art’s BBQ, and one of several area restaurant owners opposed to the 1% prepared food tax, showed up at City Offices on Garrison Avenue Friday carrying a large stack of signatures and feeling vindicated.

“Last time around we left a lot of signatures out there because we didn’t think we’d need them,” York said. “This time we’ve got our i’s dotted and our t’s crossed.”

York is talking about the 10-day effort of his Citizens for Responsible Taxation following Judge Michael Fitzhugh’s June 28 order that the group be allowed extra time to sort out verification issues that had derailed their initial effort for a referendum.

“This is a hot issue, one that people around here feel very strongly about.” To illustrate, York indicated that he held in his hand a stack of around 3,500 signatures with “more on the way” before the 5 p.m. deadline.

A 1% prepared food tax was enacted Feb. 24 by the Fort Smith Board of Directors to resolve the more than 10-year search to plug an annual deficit with Convention Center operations predicted to occur when $1.8 million in annual state turnback money dried up. The state turnback program—which supported expansion or construction of tourism facilities—ended for Fort Smith in June 2010.

“I just want to make it clear that I’m for the Convention Center. But a forced tax isn’t the way to do it,” York said.

York also stated that in lieu of a tax increase, the Convention Center had to get people on a committee, who “knew what they were doing,” and find a way through increased revenue and decreased expenses to make up the difference for the money it could potentially be losing if the prepared food tax increase is placed on the ballot and voted down.

As for City Clerk Sherri Gard, who had rejected the first petition because all but 950 names had not been verified properly, the real work begins.

Gard is joined by two staff members in the counting and verification process. When asked the approximate completion date, Gard replied, “The Judge did not specify how many days, but we’re going to go as fast as we can, but be as thorough as we can. They need a ballpark of about 1,900, and we’ll also have to go in and check for duplicates against some of the old petitions. If there are any verified duplicates we may have to count names that had previously been dismissed because of the verification problem.”

Gard added that the counting would probably stop if the 2,822 verified signatures were reached before each page had been counted. She continued: “They’re making me earn my money today.”

“All you’ve got to do is put it on the ballot,” York teased while sitting across from Gard at Friday’s petition submission.

York added that names would continue to be collected through Wednesday (July 13), because he was uncertain if the Judge’s order meant “calendar days or business days,” he said.

“If this gets on the ballot and gets voted down, then I’ll be the first person to shut up,” York said. “But we’re just wanting this to come before the voters and not have it forced on us.”