Waldron residents will vote in an Aug. 9 special election on whether to approve three improvement projects and enact a 1 percent sales tax to pay for them.
The ballot is set up to allow residents to vote for or against issuing revenue bonds for each project: to replace water and sewer lines, which have reduced carrying capacities because of age and deterioration, and to patch the streets after the line work is finished.
If voters approve any one of the three ballot questions, the 1 percent sales tax would go into effect to pay off bonds sold to finance the project or projects. The tax would remain in effect until the work was paid off.
According to the ballot, bonds totaling up to $300,000 would be issued to pay for street repairs, bonds totaling $1.5 million would be issued for water improvements, and bonds for up to $1.2 million would be issued for the sewer improvements.
Waldron Mayor Neil Cherry estimated Friday that it would take 4½ to five years to pay off the bonds if all three projects were approved.
If the tax is enacted, it will increase the city's total sales-tax rate to 11.125 percent. Currently the city's tax is composed of the 6.5 percent state sales tax, a 1 percent city sales tax for general revenue and a 2.625 percent countywide sales tax.
The improvements have to be made, Cherry said. If the sales tax isn't passed to pay for them, then water rates will have to be raised to generate the required revenue.
He said an average monthly water bill of $32.88 would increase by $30.10 to equal the amount of money needed over five years to pay for the work.
He said the City Council has not discussed alternatives that Waldron could turn to if some but not all of the proposed projects pass.
City officials have tried to publicize the issue, Cherry said. They have drawn up and distributed brochures explaining the projects and have held two town hall meetings, which Cherry said were poorly attended.
Polling places will be open on election day for each of the city's three wards. Ward 1 voters will go to the Scott County Courthouse, Ward 2 voters will go to First Methodist Church and Ward 3 voters will go to First Baptist Church.
Early voting begins Tuesday at the county courthouse.
State Desk on 07/31/2016