Support police and fire
There will be two referendum questions on the ballot for the March 3 primary election asking Bella Vista citizens to support a temporary 1% sales tax to finance the bonding for building a new public safety building, a fire training center, and replacing the northwest fire station.
A new public safety building is needed to provide for prisoner holding and processing, provide a hardened dispatch center to withstand weather and disaster events, provide for secure evidence and record storage, and provide court facilities to save on the current monthly lease expense. A new public safety building will serve public safety for 30 years or more.
Replacing the current outdated fire station near Branchwood will allow for more effective EMS response in the northwest part of the city. No ambulance is currently stationed there because there isn’t enough space in the current fire station. A new northwest fire station is essential for effectively providing both fire protection and emergency medical response in that area of the city.
A new fire training center will allow on-duty personnel to stay in the city while training and be available for emergency response. It will also be available for police training use. The training center will also serve as an additional strategically-located fire station staffed 8 hours a day and accommodate future population growth if needed.
Whenever citizens are in need of emergency assistance, they turn to police and fire for help. It is our turn now to provide the facilities they need for effectively protecting the citizens of Bella Vista.
Vote yes for the temporary 1% sales tax on the March 3 ballot.
John Kittelson Bella Vista Let’s move forward
Now that the property owners have approved the first assessment increase in nearly two decades, let’s move forward. Let’s come together for the common good of us all. Let’s put our efforts into improving life for all of us as we enjoy the beautiful area where we all live and call home.
We have the opportunity to improve the amenities that drew us to Bella Vista. As our demographics change, our challenge is to provide as much as we are able for all our current and new members to enjoy.
Annually, we are listed as one of the premier locations to move, live or retire. People from other areas love what we have and want to be part of it. It is to the benefit of us all to keep and enhance that image. Together we can do it.
David Brandenburg Bella Vista