Christie expresses financial concerns for Bella Vista

BELLA VISTA — While the city’s budget is doing well today, Mayor Peter Christie expressed concerns last week about potential issues in the near future.

The ongoing 2020 Census is extremely important for Bella Vista because the city relies heavily on state turnback money, which is based on population data provided by the census, he said.

An incomplete count could mean the city receives less than its fair share — though, so far Bella Vista leads the state with nearly 80% of households reported, he added.

The city is estimated to have a population of about 31,000, but its current census data is from a 2012 special census that places the city’s population at 26,000.

Currently, residents can respond to the census at census.gov and need to respond by Oct. 31, after which workers will be sent out to knock on doors and collect information in person.

“It’s very important that everybody be counted,” Christie said.

If anyone needs help to understand the website or the process, a kiosk is in place at the city hall, 101 Towncenter, and residents may bring the mailer they received and get assistance filling out the digital forms.

Another concern is a halfcent sales tax on fuel set to sunset in 2023. The tax, which had a 10-year lifespan, was approved by voters in 2012 and went into effect 2013.

The tax supports the widening of Arkansas highways maintained by the state, but the ballot issue also carried a provision to allocate money toward cities and counties.

Christie said once the sales tax sunsets, the city could lose $618,000 of its $1.2 million street budget.

This money is essential for the city, he said, because, despite its lower population and tax base, it’s much larger than neighboring cities in terms of landmass and has a lot of streets.

A ballot issue that would render the tax permanent will be up for a vote during the Nov. 3 general election this year.

Christie said he’s strongly in favor of this measure.

“Roads are so important here, we need to stay on top of them,” he said.