by - January 19, 2026 11:41 am
Van Buren posted a more than 13% decline in building permit values in 2025 compared with 2024, but the city had a big increase in duplex and apartment construction starts…
by - February 3, 2025 12:16 pm
November 2024 sales and use tax revenue for Van Buren totaled $734,865, up 2.1% over $719,808 in November 2023. However, year-to-date tax revenue for the Crawford County city is down…
by - December 11, 2023 3:16 pm
With 2023 drawing to a close and despite a loss of sales tax revenue thanks to a Crawford County filing error, Van Buren Mayor Joe Hurst says city goals for…
by - March 16, 2022 5:02 pm
The city of Van Buren and the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce have unveiled an “Action Plan for Economic Development” that includes numerous “tactics” to grow jobs and improve quality…
by - September 27, 2021 5:26 pm
Van Buren, the second largest city in the Fort Smith metro area, has seen an almost 8% increase in sales tax revenue. Sales tax revenue to date from the 1.5%…
by - February 10, 2021 1:33 pm
Since taking office for his first term as mayor in 2019, Joe Hurst has had to deal with record flooding of the Arkansas River and a year-long national pandemic. But…
by - February 6, 2020 5:31 pm
Van Buren is getting help with its brand thanks to the University of Central Arkansas Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED). CCED, in partnership with nonprofit design firm Thrive,…
by - June 28, 2019 8:35 pm
Former Fort Smith Director of Planning Wally Bailey has taken his talents across the river to take up the reins as the Van Buren’s planning director. Bailey started with Van…
by - October 4, 2017 11:40 am
Filing deadlines for the Van Buren mayoral race are not until July 2018, but there is already one candidate and one endorsement. Van Buren City Planner Joe Hurst has announced…
by - September 20, 2016 5:50 am
The Van Buren City Council voted unanimously on Monday (Sept. 19) to throw its support behind a market assessment for a proposed inland port and intermodal project located near the…
by - September 8, 2016 11:03 am
A franchise rate increase proposed by Van Buren Mayor Bob Freeman would add just under $6 to the monthly bill for commercial natural gas customers of Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation…
by - August 24, 2016 3:49 pm
Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp. (AOG) has responded to Van Buren Mayor Bob Freeman’s call for a franchise fee increase and the message is clear: Any rate hikes will be passed…
by - August 23, 2016 5:32 am
Van Buren Mayor Bob Freeman urged city council members to revisit the franchise tax the city charges to the Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp. (AOG) from the current flat rate of…
by - February 10, 2016 6:43 am
The city of Van Buren hosted a public hearing to discuss movement on the Interstate 40/Highway 59 interchange by Fayetteville Road on Tuesday night (Feb. 9), unveiling a possible fix…
by - July 17, 2015 9:57 am
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Jolie Hobbs of King Elementary School in Van Buren, Ark. with the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). She was honored today…
by - November 19, 2014 5:54 pm
The city of Van Buren has continued a long tradition of providing $100 annual bonuses to its employees, even as the city's budget could be impacted by a rise in…
by - November 13, 2014 3:00 pm
Fort Smith is not the only city facing sewer overflow issues. It’s proving a problem in Van Buren, also. According to Director of Van Buren Municipal Utilities Steve Dufresne, Fort…
by - October 15, 2014 12:50 am
It may have been a death match in Fayetteville Tuesday (Oct. 14) as the candidates for U.S. Senate duked it out in a televised debate over who should represent Arkansas…
by - July 29, 2014 4:23 pm
Van Buren residents will have a contested mayoral election this year and the race is going to look an awful lot like the 2010 election after Van Buren Alderman Max…
by - March 26, 2014 3:57 pm
Planning for the future of parks and recreation in the city of Van Buren is moving along with the expected approval in April of a contract with Bentonville-based CEI Engineering…
