Tax increase to fund police pensions to be on Bella Vista ballot

BELLA VISTA — A halfmill property tax increase to fund police pensions will be on the ballot March 5 in Bella Vista.

The issue was originally planned for a special election this past November after 30 residents signed a petition and the City Council also passed a unanimous resolution supporting it. However, due to an expired filing deadline, the ballot issue had to be postponed.

In 2014, voters approved 1.5 mills toward uniformed employees’ pensions, with one mill going toward firefighters and half a mill toward police. That effort was also led by some residents working together as the group Citizens Helping Improve Public Safety.

Fire Chief Steve Sims said he and the police chief at the time would go with group members to answer questions voters had about the millage in 2014. He said on the Fire Department side at the time, the retirement costs were already exceeding the amount one mill would bring in. On the Police Department side, however, one mill would have brought in excess funds that could not have been spent on anything else by law, and thus it was decided to ask voters for half a mill for police pensions at that time.

Last year officials reported the half-mill for police pensions was bringing in about $310,000 annually, while actual costs were about $507,000, leaving the city to cover a shortfall of $197,000 each year.

“The cost of pensions go up every year as the cost of living goes up. The state sets that,” said Cassi Lapp, city communications director. “We have to cover police pensions. We are required by law. If we have a shortfall, something else is going to have to suffer. Typically the things that get cut are staffing, equipment, miles of road we are able to repair. So in doing this through property tax, if there is any kind of shortfall, we are still able to provide those pensions and

still provide city services to our residents.”

Mayor John Flynn said the additional one-half mill is the best thing for fiscal solvency.

“It’s a matter of supporting the police and their pensions,” he said. “Cities that support the police are safer and have good results, and cities that don’t support the police have all kinds of problems.”

Flynn said the tax increase wouldn’t amount to much for residents.

The owner of a $200,000 home would pay an additional $20 per year in taxes if the ballot measure is approved.

“I hate to ask people for a tax increase, but it’s very small,” Flynn said. “Everything has to go to police pensions. It can’t be used for anything else.”