Bella Vista council OKs sending bond proposal to voters

BELLA VISTA — The City Council voted unanimously Monday to send a bond measure to city voters for three major projects estimated at $20 million to be secured with an additional 1% city sales tax.

Mayor Peter Christie said the bond will pay for construction of a police and courts building, a rebuilt Fire Station No. 3 and a Fire Department training facility.

The council can’t approve a sales tax on its own and must take that to the voters, he said. With the resolution passed, the council will need to pass a pair of ordinances — which will have to go through three readings — to get the sales tax on the ballot, and the plan is to have it on the ballot for the March 3 primary. If approved, the money will be available that year.

Christie said the vote will be split into multiple ballot items, so if voters only wish to vote in favor of one or two projects they can.

“That’s the responsible way to do it,” he said.

The bonds would be roughly $20 million to cover a police and courts facility at $13 million to $14 million, as well as a replacement for Fire Station No. 3 and a fire

training facility, each projected to cost roughly $2 million, while leaving an additional $2 million reserve.

The loans are expected to be paid off in 10 years and are structured so the entire additional tax will go to paying them and will never enter the city’s general fund.

Bella Vista’s city sales tax is 1%, and an additional 1% would bring its sales tax rate in line with Bentonville and some other neighboring cities.

Christie said the infrastructure projects are essential to manage the city’s growth.

Council member John Flynn said he’s not a fan of raising taxes, but these projects are important and putting it before the voters is the most tolerable option.

“The people decide,” he said.

Council member Doug Fowler said Bella Vista doesn’t have a particularly strong commercial tax base and if the city can build the tax base it may be able to avoid having votes such as this one in the future.

Council member Steven Bourke said he also has concerns about raising taxes, but the projects are important.

“It’s tough to get a sales tax increase. I think we have worthy projects … I think they merit consideration,” he said.

The council also approved a change order for aboveground trail crossings on the central trails project, a repeal of council rules by ordinance and reinstating those rules by resolution, selling three surplus city vehicles, and an unmanned aircraft system policy for the Police Department.