By Ray King
With three members of the Pine Bluff City Council absent Wednesday, Mayor Shirley Washington cast the deciding vote to send a proposed five-eights cent sales tax, commonly called the Go Forward Sales Tax, to the voters in a special election in November.
An additional three-eights cent sales tax devoted to public safety will also be voted on as a result of the council’s action.
Washington’s aye vote joined those of Council members Lloyd Holcomb Jr., Glen Brown Jr., Steven Shaner, Lanette Frazier and LaTisha Brunson who attended the special called meeting in council chambers. Not present were Council members Steven Mays, Bruce Lockett and Glen Brown Sr.
Holcomb, Brown and Shaner called for the special meeting to put the tax issues back on the ballot after they were defeated in a special election in May.
After the meeting, Holcomb explained why he wanted the issues to be considered again.
A resolution showing how the city planned to spend the proceeds of the five-eights cent tax was also approved. Among the items it listed were increased funding for parks and recreation for upgrades and improvements including walking, biking and water trails, increasing blight removal in the city’s four wards, fund single and multi-family housing, fund the Urban Renewal Agency for redevelopment of the area as well as intercity neighborhoods, University Drive and Lake Saracen, and funding annual festivals and events.
After opposition from police and firefighters on the previous tax proposal, the new one approved by the council sets out specifics including annual bonuses, contributions to insurance premiums and increasing the uniform allowances for police and firefighters.
During public comments, five people spoke in favor of the taxes while only one, former council member Ivan Whitfield spoke against it.
Holcomb talked about the citizen involvement and said this.
Another opponent of the tax, John Fenley, was not permitted to speak after not signing up prior to the meeting and was escorted out by police when he complained.
