LITTLE ROCK — Senior citizens center members in North Little Rock were treated to a free lunch Friday, though the main dish was some sales-tax talk by Mayor Patrick Hays.
Hays is pushing for another 1 percent city sales tax in a Nov. 8 election for North Little Rock voters. Early voting will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday at the city’s Laman Library.
The tax proposal has two parts: a 0.5 percent permanent sales tax to be divided evenly between capital improvements and general operations; and a 0.5 percent tax to expire March 31, 2017, for capital improvements.
“Every chance I get I’ll share my views with whoever I’m in front of,” Hays said of the opportunity to make some remarks and answer a few questions.
The North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce paid for the catered lunch that was open only to members of the Patrick Hays Senior Citizens Center. About 150 free tickets were distributed, center director Charley Baxter said, with about 100 attending.
Janet Murphy of North Little Rock said Hays gave “a good speech,” but she isn’t sure he won her vote.
“I don’t know,” Murphy said. “We always need to vote and try to do the best we can for our city. I never know until a couple hours before I vote. I’ll do some thinking about it.”
North Little Rock’s Mildred Glover, however, said she is supportive and trusts the mayor to steer the city in the right direction.
“Yes, I am,” Glover replied when asked whether she was in favor of the tax proposal. “He is such a great mayor and has such great experience. I have enough confidence in how he wishes to have things done. I’m for it. I think those things are needed.”
Hays emphasized how city sales-tax increases have aided center members. The center’s construction came about because of a 1 percent city sales tax voters approved in 2000. A temporary sales tax passed in 2005 included funds for the center’s expansion.
Hays did err in answering a question on tax rates because of some “tricky” math involving tax-rate fractions from two cities. Hays said, if approved, that once the 0.5 percent portion expires in five years, “we’ll be less than Little Rock” in city sales tax.
Little Rock voters approved a 1 percent city sales tax increase Sept. 13 that was divided into three-eighths percent that will expire Dec. 31, 2021, for capital improvements and a five-eighths percent tax for operations. The new tax adds to Little Rock’s already 0.5 percent city sales tax, for a 1.5 percent total for the next 10 years.
North Little Rock has a 1 percent tax already and will go to 2 percent if both 0.5 percent taxes pass. Once North Little Rock’s 0.5 percent for capital improvements expires in five years, the two cities will both charge 1.5 percent in city sales taxes. In 10 years, Little Rock’s tax will drop to 1.125 percent, lower than North Little Rock’s.
Both cities’ taxes add to a 6 percent state sales tax and a 1 percent Pulaski County sales tax.
When asked about the mistake later, Hays said he“didn’t mean to be” using wrong information and that he believed that was the first time he’d said that because it was in response to an audience question.
“It is a little tricky,” he said.
The new tax revenue, Hays said, could help buy the senior citizens center a new 35-passenger bus that could cost $80,000-$100,000 and may help find a way to alleviate the center’s overcrowded parking.
The center has 4,200 active members out of a total 17,000 registered and an average daily attendance of about 750, Baxter said.
When an audience member asked whether the center could get a parking deck, Hays said that’s come up before, “but Charley says everybody would want to park on the first floor. So I don’t think I have an answer about a parking deck.”
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 10/29/2011