Tax renewal opposition not found at Tea Party event

The county judge and city administrator walk into a Tea Party meeting to promote the renewal of a one cent sales tax. After making their presentation, not a single person in the room said they would vote against the sales tax renewal.

While that may have sounded like lines out of a really lame joke, that is what happened on Monday night (May 6) at the River Valley Tea Party meeting.

In attendance were Sebastian County Judge David Hudson, Fort Smith City Administrator Ray Gosack and Sebastian County Quorum Court member Danny Aldridge.

In making the case for the renewal of the tax, which was first passed in 1994 with 56% of the vote and renewed in 2003 with 64% of the vote, Gosack spoke about the amenities provided by the tax, which is estimated to bring in more than $22 million this year.

"In the case of Fort Smith, (the city) allocates 76% of its share to police and fire services and that revenue makes up a combined 40% of the police and fire budget," he said. "So it's a very important revenue source for the city of Fort Smith."

Due to the passage of the tax, which provides the city about $15 million a year in revenue, Gosack said Fort Smith had been able to waive some fees for the last 19 years when a business applies for a permit to operate.

Should the tax fail to be renewed next Tuesday (May 14), Gosack painted a dire picture for the Tea Party faithful.

"If we lose $15 million a year out of the general fund, I don't know that … the rest of the general fund isn't (even) $15 million. It's public safety. We'd have to quit doing everything else. When it was first sold to the voters in 1994, it was sold as being used for public safety."

In that same vain, Hudson explained how the county's portion of the funds, which are divided based on population, had been used to fund improvements to the jail.

"The jail continues to be the largest recipient of the county's sales tax funds, which we have proposed allocating more money to the jail operations with the renewal of the tax in order to hire 11 more detention deputies, which is going to make the jail a safer place for inmates and for the staff and also bring us in compliance with the U.S. Justice Department," he said. "So the majority of the Sebastian County revenues go toward public safety areas. That would be law enforcement, rural fire protection, jail, juvenile detention, and we've proposed to put some of this money in EMS with the renewal of (the tax)."

Before the crowd began voicing some support for the tax, some misperceptions had to be cleared up.

For one, some Tea Party enthusiasts said they were hearing friends talk about the tax being a new tax and in submitted questions asked why the county was asking for more money.

Gosack once again took the opportunity to remind voters that the tax had been in place for 20 years and would not change the current sales tax levels.

Another submitted question asked why Fort Smith had the highest sales tax rate among Arkansas cities.

"We actually don't (have the highest rate of sales tax)," Gosack said. "There are cities in Arkansas that have a sales tax rate a full 1% higher than Fort Smith, so we do not have the highest sales tax rate in Arkansas, contrary to what some people think."

He went on to say that Fayetteville had a sales tax rate that was the same as Fort Smith's: 9.25%.

In a press conference prior to the Tea Party meeting, River Valley Tea Party leader Bob Newbold said while he would not be taking a public stand on the sales tax renewal, it was important for members to hear directly from city and county leaders on how the sales tax would impact the two governments' ability to function and provide basic services.

"They've got to make a decision, (early voting) starts tomorrow," he said. "And trying to get the voters educated on what the tax is for, what they use it for, how long it's been around, that it's not new money, it's the same tax they've had for a long time, 20 years. It's just a renewal of the sales tax."

Joe Westmoreland of Midland was at the meeting and he said while he was not for taxes in principle, he would be voting for the sales tax renewal.

"As far as a tax, a sales tax is a little fairer for these types of things and most everything else. Of course they need it, they're used to it, it's pretty much programmed in to their DNA already, how they look at everything," he said. "There could be a lot of different services cut, but the way they set up the general fund and the sales tax, this fire and the police are just sitting out there where some of the other stuff, that money is just pretty much locked in. Sometimes people get upset at the way they present it. Well, we'll have to cut all the police off and people will come in to kill and rob, you know? That's silly, but I can understand. I don't like how much tax that we pay, but compared to everyone else, it's right there."

Of all the individuals questioned by The City Wire at the meeting, none would say they were voting against the renewal.

The statements of support were no surprise to Aldridge.

"No, while the Tea Party stands for smaller government, more responsive government, they also understand the value of what their tax dollars can accomplish for good of all the citizens and I think when you present a fair and balanced argument that explains how the money will be used in a positive manner rather than just doom and gloom, they will get out and get behind the tax,” Aldridge explained.

Early voting at the Sebastian County Courthouses in Fort Smith and Greenwood begins tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. and lasts until Monday, May 13. Early voting will not be available on Saturday, Hudson said.

The special election will be held May 14 with polls open from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.