League urges city leaders to keep up on legislation
Don’t sit on the sidelines when bills that affect cities and towns are on the legislative docket, speakers at the annual Arkansas Municipal League Conference urged Thursday.
About 1,200 mayors, aldermen and city leaders from across the state gathered in downtown Little Rock for the conference, which is now in its 85th year. About a quarter of them were newly elected, said Mark Hayes, the league’s executive director.
The convention, which also included sessions on economic development, workplace civility and the services the league offers, coincides with the start of the 92nd General Assembly of Arkansas, which kicked off this week.
Legislative topics that impact municipalities in Arkansas this year include Internet sales tax, funding for streets, and public records.
Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, has refiled a bill that allows municipalities to collect sales tax from online retailers. Hayes said it would allow for the amount of sales tax cities and towns collect for online purchases to be “the same as it would be buying it on Main Street.”
“All we ask for in our state is that our local merchants be treated fairly,” Hayes said. “Sales tax is the lifeblood for our communities.”
John Wilkerson, general counsel for the league, highlighted proposed changes to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. One bill would put all of the records that are exempt from the law in one place within the legislation. Another would apply attorney-client privilege protection to government lawyers, Wilkerson said.
Other legislation that municipalities were told to keep their eyes on deals with codification, building permits and red light cameras.
An ongoing issue is state funding for city streets. Joe Quinn, executive director for the nonprofit Arkansas Good Roads Foundation, said city officials should advocate for their needs with stories and elevator speeches that illustrate the problem.
“You need local stories to convey to your elected official,” Quinn said.
North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith, president of the Arkansas Municipal League, told attendees not to be intimidated by the legislative processes and to build a rapport with their representatives.
“Think of them as city council meetings, just a bit larger,” Smith said. “Those ladies and gentlemen at the state Capitol — they want you to contact them.”
The conference concludes Friday.
The league is an organization that advocates for Arkansas cities and provides various services for them, including health care and legal representation if the cities subscribe to those services. It was created in 1934.