On Tuesday, August 11, 2015, the City of Jonesboro City Council Finance Committee will consider ordinances to hold a special sales tax election in November. The meeting will be held at four p.m. at the city's Municipal Center.
The Committee will consider whether to pass to the full Council a proposal by the Administration to hold a special election that will ask voters to determine two ballot issues. The first is a 7/8 cent sales tax for Transportation Infrastructure improvements. The second is a 1/8 cent sales tax to fund the Economic Development Corporation of Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Over the past two years, City of Jonesboro engineers have been studying traffic and roadway issues in the city. They have developed a list of high-priority projects that need to been done to alleviate traffic congestion, deal with capacity issues, and create safer roadways. Chief among the projects are several railroad overpasses.
The Administration has determined the best way to fund the projects is with a 7/8 cent sales tax that will be dedicated to the improvement of transportation infrastructure. The City Council must first approve a special election to authorize the tax.
Also being considered is a 1/8 cent sales tax that will be dedicated to economic development projects, as determined by the Economic Development Corporation of Jonesboro, Arkansas. The Economic Development Corporation is in the process of being formed. It will be a public corporation, with its activities open to the public and subject to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. The formation of the corporation will also require approval by the City Council.