On May 9, voters in Pine Bluff will decide the fate of extending the five-eighth cent Go Forward Pine Bluff sales tax and adding a three-eighth cent tax devoted strictly to public safety.
Police Chief Denise Richardson was a recent guest on the Oldies 1013 morning show and asked if she felt the tax was needed and whether she supported it.
Richardson said the proceeds from the tax, if it passes, will be split between the police and fire departments. “This is just not for the police,” she said. “This is to help us serve (the public).”
She was also asked if some of the money would be used to help in recruiting by increasing salaries and making the department more competitive with other departments in the state,
Fire and Emergency Services Chief Shauwn Howell also said he supports the tax when he appeared on the morning show.
Morning show host Greg Horne asked Howell if some of the money generated by the tax, if it passes, will be used for recruiting and retention and Howell responded this way.
