Sales tax increase on ballot not necessary, is ill-timed, vague

Rarely, indeed very rarely, has this progressive columnist not championed each and every tax increase asked of the public by elected officials, but he will not be voting for the proposed sales tax increase on March 3.

Washington County voters will be asked to approve a 1/4th-cent sales tax for one year, said to be used for public safety radios and public safety use. Baloney.

Vote NO to this proposal.

On March 3, voters in Washington County will face a question to decide a one-quarter cent sales tax for one year — which could raise approximately $10 million.

Let me repeat that — voters will be asked to decide a tax increase which would raise the sales tax you pay every time you buy something for the next year — netting $10 million in a scheme that has yet to be developed or has a fixed price tag on such a project.

This is perhaps, among the most poorly written, ill-timed asks of the public, I have ever seen in all my years of writing about public issues in Arkansas.

It is a pig-in-a-poke. A badly constructed and possibly illegal use of tax monies without standard fiduciary safeguards in place. It is ill-timed and wrong-headed of the Washington County Judge and the Washington County Quorum Court to place this issue on the ballot.

And the JPs have done so, quietly, in a manner, as not to allow the public to ask needed questions about this tax increase and how it will be spent within the state and county’s financial guidelines to expend tax monies — once collected.

This is all “blue sky” or better yet, “pie in the sky,” money to be given to various departments — many of which are not part of the Washington County government — but privately funded organizations — for their operations.

The ballot question will read as follows: Voters will be given the option of a one-fourth of one percent (0.25%) local sales and use tax within Washington County for a period of twelve (12) months, the net collections of which remaining after deduction of the administrative charges of the State of Arkansas and required rebates, will be distributed only to the County and used to acquire, construct, improve, expand, equip, and maintain public safety communication system facilities and apparatus, including any necessary land acquisition and utility and road improvements therefore..”

Lots of wiggle room in this proposal and very, very little details.

All this will be about giving away radios — twoway and broadcast radios — for the Sheriff’s Department, various police departments, area volunteers’ fire department and

first-responders all over Washington County, I am told.

The Sheriff’s Office has a radio system in place and yes, it needs some upgrades.

So do most all other entities such as volunteer fire departments, area police departments, and yes, even the loose network of first-responders in Washington County need upgrades to their radio systems.

There are problems with the radios used by each entity. Not all the radios “speak” to each other – due to frequency levels, analog or digital signals, or the ability to reach long distances, per discussions held at previous quorum court meetings have revealed.

But more concern to the voters are the attitude of these who now hold these radios and the need for new radios so dire.

There will be no competitive bids taken. The suppliers will be many and possibly just the same ones that now supply area departments with radios that do not work as properly as they should.

There will not be one supplier of radios or radio service within the county. The county will be not only buying radios, but according to the ballot wording acquiring land – from whom? And to improve roads? Which roads?

Do not be misled. Asking for this tax increase should be turned down by the voters until a more detailed and public plan can be determined.

Haste makes waste. This is a wasteful ask, hastily asked of the voters.

Vote No on the 1/4thcent sales tax on March 3. Correction:

In a previous column incorrectly listed that Circuit Court Judicial candidate Tim Snively of Fayetteville had run for a previous Circuit Court position. He has only run in one previous political race for District Court position, prior to his candidacy this current election cycle. I regret the error.