LITTLE ROCK — Benton will not vote Tuesday, Aug. 12, on whether to annex the Salem community.

Benton Director of Community Development Marsha Guffey said complaints by Salem residents led to the decision.

The 1,200 acres south and west of North Lake Road that does not include Salem is still up for annexation by Benton or Bryant. Bryant's special election is Tuesday, Sept. 9. The Benton City Council will meet Monday to consider an annexation ordinance pertaining to only the 1,200 acres. If approved, the Benton vote will be Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Benton Alderman Greg White said he believed the original council action to place the Salem a r e a on the ballot was a knee-jerk reaction to Bryant's proposed annexation of the 1,200 acres.

"There was no pl a n n i ng or thought as to how the citywas going to afford this. It was going to cost roughly between $12 million and $13 million to annex," White said. "The cart was put way before the horse."

White said the primary reason for annexation is to prevent Bryant from encircling the Benton city limits and imposing upon its planning jurisdiction.

Salem resident Bob Huie said the residents don't want to be annexed into Benton for simple reasons.

"We just want to live in the country and we don't want our property taxes to go up. We have nothing against Benton; we are just happy where we are."

Huie said Salem residents are happy Benton Mayor Rick Holland called off the annexation, and in the future they hope the mayor will meet with residents to explain why he wants to annex Salem into Benton.

Guffey, however, said Salem residents were 50-50 on the issue and many wanted animal control and water and sewer services. Huie said he did not know the source of this figure.

Guffey said Benton wants the North Lake Road area for a few reasons.

"This area is important to the city of Benton so that we can make infrastructure improvements and to square up the Benton city limits," Guffey said.

Holland did not return phone calls by press time, but he said in a press release that the annexation was originally proposed in response to Bryant's breach of a 2005 agreement that defined the areas in which Benton and Bryant would grow.

"We felt we had to protect our interests in this area," Holland said. "We have put a number of infrastructure improvements in place to serve current and future residents; we cannot afford to let these improvements be wasted."

Guffey said residents in the area won't see a difference in their lifestyles and the school districts will not change.

"Residents will see an increase in property taxes, but I believe the decrease in homeowner's insurance will balance that out,"Guffey said.

Bryant Planning Coordinator LaVenia Jones said Bryant wants the area because of existing infrastructure.

"We have an infrastructure there already to service the people of that area. Sewer lines run the entire length of North Lake Road," Jones said.

In the Bryant election and if the Benton City Council adopts the ordinance calling for an Oct. 14 election, all registered voters of the cities may vote in their individual elections. Residents of the area proposed for annexation may vote in both elections. If the proposal passes in both the Benton and Bryant elections, residents in the 1,200 acres will have a separate election to determine which city would gain the area.

Tri-Lakes, Pages 121, 123 on 07/20/2008