City gearing up for library vote
The Pulaski County Election Commission is preparing for the special election that the North Little Rock City Council decided in November to schedule for Feb. 14.
The election commission has posted the ballot, information on early voting and a list of election day voting sites on the website votepulaski.net.
Voters will be asked to increase funding for North Little Rock's library system by agreeing to raise the current rate of 3 mills to 5 mills.
Counties in Arkansas assess property at 20% of the appraised value. The assessment is multiplied by the millage rate to determine the taxes owed. A mill is one-tenth of a cent or 0.001 of a dollar. Each mill is charged against each dollar of assessed value and would therefore produce $1 of tax for each $1,000 of valuation.
A North Little Rock property owner pays 66.8 mills in property taxes overall -- including 48.3 mills for the North Little Rock School District, 5 mills for the municipal general fund, and 1 mill each for the police and fire pension funds, according to the Pulaski County treasurer's office.
A 2-mill property tax increase for the library would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $40 a year and the owner of a $50,000 home would pay an additional $20 a year.
Total property taxes for the owner of a $100,000 home would go from $1,336 to $1,376 if the 2-mill proposal is adopted by voters. The owner of a $50,000 home would see the tax bill increase from $668 to $688 a year.
A $100,000 home is assessed at 20% of its value, which would be $20,000. That $20,000 multiplied by the proposed 2 mills or 0.002 equals $40.
Early voting for the Feb. 14 special election starts Feb. 7.
Annual meeting of chamber set
The North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce will hold its 38th annual meeting at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock on Feb. 23.
A cocktail reception begins at 5:15 p.m., followed by dinner. The program is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.
The featured speaker will be Lorie Tudor, director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
Anna Beth Gorman with the Women's Foundation of Arkansas and the chamber's 2022 chair will present the chamber's accomplishments of the past year.
Jerome Green, president of Shorter College and the 2023 chamber chair, will look ahead to plans for North Little Rock's future.
The following chamber members will accept 2022 awards in these categories:
• Large Business Partner of the Year: Garver.
• Medium Business Partner of the Year: Seal Solar.
• Small Business Partner of the Year: 107 Liquor.
• Non-Profit Partner of the Year: The Wildcat Foundation.
Tables of 10 are available to purchase for $1,000. Individual tickets can be purchased for $100 per person. Dress is business attire.
Sponsorship information or the purchase of a table or tickets is available by calling (501) 372-595, e-mailing nlrchamber@nlrchamber.org or going to the website www.nlrchamber.org.