Citizens silent on proposed tax increase
Although many sound off on social media, citizens fail to speak up where it counts
By DONALD WILBURN
donaldfwilburn@gmail.com
In a city council special session last Thursday, a controversial ordinance proposing a tax increase was placed on its second reading. The council is set to read the ordinance for the third and _nal time and vote on whether to allow it on the November ballot this Thursday, August 15 at 5 p.m. Despite much pushback on social media regarding the tax hike,
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citizen participation in the process has been shockingly lacking.
Not a single resident has appeared or requested to speak on the matter during the crucial _rst two readings, except for a woman in favor of an aquatic park so that she might receive medical treatment using local facilities as opposed to making the trip to Jonesboro thrice per week.
The lack of engagement is troubling, as the majority of city council members do not even have social media accounts, making it dif_cult for them to hear their constituents concerns. Any residents who wish to address the city council and Mayor McClendon directly must call city hall and request to be put on the agenda at least 48 hours in advance.
In order for the proposed taxes to make it onto the November ballot, they require a 2/3 vote to pass in the city council. The tax increase is intended to fund several signi_cant projects, totaling $49,830,000. The proposed temporary tax, also known as a sunset tax, would expire in seven years if the bond issue passes.
A permanent tax increase of 0.25 percent is being considered to repay the bonds for these improvements, which includes a $9 million bond issued for the revitalization of West Memphis Parks. The current sales tax in West Memphis is at 9.75 percent.
The infamous “Hamburger Tax,” a 3 percent tax on hotels and restaurants, further adds to the tax burden of residents, bringing the total sales tax to 12.75 percent for eating out. With the proposed increase it would be 10.75 and 13.75 percent respectively.
Comparatively, the neighboring city of Marion currently has a 1 percent tax on hotels and food, with a petition circulating to raise the hotel tax to 3 percent while leaving the food tax and local residents untouched.
It is important to note that the council’s upcoming vote is only to decide whether to place the tax increase on the ballot for a public vote in November, and not to implement the hike itself. Many city council members have stated that they believe in giving residents the _nal say on the matter and for this reason are voting to put it on the ballot for the November election.
