Pine Bluff Mayor Vivian Flowers has vetoed a recently approved City Council resolution expressing continued support for the Pine Bluff Urban Renewal Agency, according to a notice filed with the city clerk’s office.
City Clerk Janice L. Roberts confirmed the mayor exercised her veto power over Resolution No. 4993, titled “A Resolution Expressing On-Going Support and Operations of the Pine Bluff Urban Renewal Agency.” The resolution was approved by the City Council during its Feb. 2, 2026, meeting.
Under Arkansas law, a mayoral veto must be communicated to the City Council prior to its next regular meeting. Roberts said the official statement of veto was received and filed in the clerk’s office on Feb. 6 at 4:50 p.m.
In her written veto message, Flowers said she could not approve the resolution because it was based on “erroneous and incomplete information,” lacked minimum standards for transparency and accountability, posed a financial risk and worked against the public interest.
Flowers stated that the resolution relied on incorrect or misleading information regarding the Urban Renewal Agency’s performance and financial status. She noted that since 2017, the City Council has appropriated more than $17.6 million from the 2017 sales tax toward URA projects, but said the agency now lacks a stable funding source, has only one employee and is managing projects that could cost the city more than $330,000 annually in operations.
The mayor also pointed out that the city still has more than 500 condemned properties, with hundreds more in the process of being condemned, despite the agency’s efforts over the last eight years.
Flowers said the resolution incorrectly implied that URA helped secure a $500,000 Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields grant awarded in May 2025, and that the agency does not have active federal grants as suggested.
She also raised concerns about the agency’s finances, including more than $2.4 million spent to purchase 39 properties, with limited development or resale activity. She said the city would ultimately be responsible for operating both the Simmons Bank Park and the Go-Kart Track projects.
Flowers said the Go-Kart Track project is significantly over budget and behind schedule, with an estimated $1.7 million overrun. She noted that reserve funds and private contributions appear sufficient to complete the project without additional city funds, but said there has been no formal agreement outlining those contributions.
The mayor also criticized the resolution for reappropriating $860,000 for the Go-Kart Track without specifying the funding source or including oversight or accountability measures. She said the city has not received official documentation detailing private partnership funds tied to the project.
Flowers also referenced past audit findings, theft of public funds and concerns about transparency as factors that have affected the agency’s credibility.
Additionally, she noted that the city is currently undergoing a forensic audit that includes transactions related to the 2017 sales tax funds. She said the resolution should not be considered until the city receives the preliminary audit report, expected by the end of March.
Flowers requested that the veto message be presented to the council at its next regular meeting on Feb. 17, when members may consider an override in accordance with state law.
