Community college sets vote on millage

HOT SPRINGS — The National Park Community College board of trustees passed a resolution Monday to officially request a special election on April 9 to raise the college’s millage rate.

The college is seeking a 1.7-mill increase to its current 0.8-mill rate, raising the total to 2.5 mills.

The school would not collect on the new millage until 2014. The increase is intended to fund the school’s construction of a new technical campus for both high school and college students.

Board members Ray Donathan and Don Harris voted against adopting the resolution. The other six board members in attendance voted to adopt the resolution. Secretary Gail Ezelle was absent from the meeting.

Ryan Bowman of the Friday, Eldredge & Clark law firm in Little Rock attended Monday’s meeting to discuss the details of the resolution with the board. Bowman has also previously consulted with National Park Community College on bonds issued in 2004 and 2008.

Bowman began discussions again with college officials in January 2012, but the college was forced to wait until recent legislation before seeking the special election.

State Sen. Bill Sample filed Senate Bill 4 in January. The bill became Act 7 on Friday, when Gov. Mike Beebe signed it into law. Act 7 allows community colleges to seek millages for capital improvements.

The impetus for Act 7 was derived from National Park Community College’s push for a new millage increase, but it will affect any district that was previously created for the establishment of a community college in Arkansas.

The resolution was filed with the Garland County clerk’s office Monday. The request for the April 9 election date must be made to the Garland County Election Commission 60 days before the vote.