Tax Vote in Maumelle Stirs Debate

Controversy is brewing in Maumelle and everybody seems to be putting their two cents in over one cent. The city`s voting Tuesday on levying a new city sales tax to raise funds for public safety. There`s some debate over how the city`s promoting that one cent tax. It would raise the current tax from 6.125 for state and county, to 7.125 including the city, and it`s expected to raise $750,000 a year. Those funds would go toward making the Department of Public Safety into separate police and fire departments. "If we get a call for a fire right now, I get in my police vehicle, go to the fire call, open my police trunk, get my fire department equipment out of the trunk and go in and fight the fire," said Lt. Jim Hansard, Maumelle Department of Public Safety. In some cases, Hansard and his fellow officers find themselves fighting a fire, treating a medical emergency, while chasing suspects. That makes for slower response times and mutual aid calls. "You shouldn`t have to call somebody for help when you get two calls," Handsard says. The police and fire chiefs say having all three jobs under one roof was a good idea a long time ago. In 1985, Maumelle had about 4,000 people. Since then, population has ballooned to almost 14,000 people. But revenues haven`t grown as quickly. The department says to be more efficient and have faster response times. They need to be separate departments. "Protect the people better, the larger you get the more potential crime you have, more chances you have for fire," said Mayor Burch Johnson. But election critics say the city isn`t telling the voters everything. While the tax money goes into the general fund, a city council resolution plans to spend it on public safety first. But that resolution isn`t binding. "So while they`re saying vote for public safety, they`re also admitting, if we need it somewhere else, we`ll use it there, the people are being misled they`re being lied to," says Jess Holt, a Maumelle resident opposed to the election, but in support of the public safety department. Holt says the city is using public safety to market the tax, while that money could be used on other repairs. Voters will have to decide who to believe and what chances they`re willing to take. Former City Councilmember Melody Pake recently resigned from the council saying this election was one of the reasons. She believes that if the money is going towards the Department of Public Safety the ballot should say that. Otherwise, the tax shouldn`t be marketed as specifically for that purpose when the funds are going to the general fund. Voting takes place Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Jess Odom Community Center only. The election commission has sent a state monitor to oversee the voting.