Election day draws near for annexation vote

Voting turnout has been slow in both Benton and Washington counties as residents of both cities decide if Springdale will annex Bethel Heights.

Jennifer Price, executive director of the Washington County Election Commission, said Friday 47 voters cast ballots from Tuesday to Thursday.

Channing Barker, a spokeswoman for Benton County, said 113 votes were cast through Friday at the county clerk's offices in Bentonville and Rogers. Siloam Springs, which is holding its board of directors election, had 255 votes cast at the clerk's office there.

Bethel Heights city boundaries lie in Benton County, as do some portions of Springdale. Bethel Heights has an estimated population of 2,372 while Springdale has an estimated population of more than 81,000.

Early voting began Tuesday and will continue through today. The election is Tuesday.

A majority of votes cast in both cities must support the consolidation for the measure to pass.

Residents proposed the annexation to resolve the issue of Bethel Heights' failing sewer system. If the voters approve the consolidation, Bethel Heights sewer customers will receive service from Springdale Water Utilities, which provides water to the town.

Springdale officials said residents of neither city will incur extra utility costs or rate hikes if the measure passes. In fact, current residents of Bethel Heights might see their utility rates decrease.

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission has offered Bethel Heights a low-interest loan package of $11.6 million to build a pump station and 14-mile pipeline to connect the city's wastewater system to the Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority's treatment facility in south Bentonville.

The town would have to raise its rates by 66% under the conditions of the loan, according to the commission. Customers monthly would pay a $66.40 flat rate plus $7.74 for every 1,000 gallons used, according to terms set by the commission.

Merger of the two cities would have no effect on the property taxes paid by Bethel Heights residents for schools or to Benton County.

Property taxes levied by Springdale would increase the rate for Bethel Heights' taxpayers by 2.3 mills -- the difference between Springdale's 5.7-mill rate and Bethel Heights' 3.4-mill rate, Morgan said.

The increase for a Bethel Heights resident with a home valued at $200,000 would be $92 annually.

Susie Wright is a leader in the Our Town, Bethel Heights campaign working to stop the annexation. Residents enjoy the small-town atmosphere, she said. They know the city's few public safety officials by name. They also don't want to live under stricter property requirements they believe will come with living in Springdale.

"I've knocked on a lot of doors in the last month," Wright said. "And I've met a lot of like-minded people like us. They are standing beside our police and fire departments. They have some of the same concerns I have about zoning, property values and things like that."

Representatives of Citizens for a Better Government, which promotes the annexation, also have knocked on doors.

"People are asking questions," said Charlene Bowen. "And we need people to ask questions."

She said her group wants to ensure voters hear the entirety of the story of Bethel Heights wastewater treatment system, which includes what's happened recently and in the past. Bowen led the petition drive calling for a special election on annexation.

The Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality has had Bethel Heights' two wastewater treatment plants and its former operator under investigation for more than a year after confirming a neighbor's complaint of wastewater pooling on his land.

The state has told the city to close the plants and find a new way to treat its wastewater.

Price said her office didn't expect high turnout in either early voting or on election day.

The 2018 special election to approve the $200 million bond project in Springdale garnered less than 2,000 votes, she said.