When voters go to the polls starting Tuesday with early voting, they will be deciding the fate of not only extending the five-eighths cent Go Forward Pine Bluff sales tax for another seven years, but they will also be voting on an additional three-eights cent tax for public safety that will be collected permanently.
On Monday, Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington explained where the idea for that permanent tax came from.
Washington was a guest on the Oldies 1013 morning show and said that obviously, Pine Bluff couldn’t say the same as Little Rock because of the difference in population, 312,000 versus trying to hold on to 40,000.
Morning show host Greg Horne told Washington that there was a whole range of people leaving the police and fire departments and asked if she thought money was the biggest reason why.
If the tax passes, the money collected will be split between the police and fire departments and the Mayor talked about the fire department’s most significant need.
