LR Board Proposes Millage Tax Election for Public Works Projects
By: Brittney Johnson, KARK 4 News
Updated: June 26, 2012
The City of Little Rock is discussing a proposal for a special millage decrease that could impact bumpy roads and overgrown ditches across the city.
Right now the city relies on a millage tax that puts money toward repairing a long lists of problem streets and drainage areas that have gone unfunded for years.
One in major need of repair is a deep ditch right outside of Dorothy Redmon's home. She described the moment she tripped over a tree and inside the ditch.
"I fell backwards and hit the back of my head," Redmon said. "It's very dangerous, I have my nieces and nephews and they come over there and they play, they like to jump over the ditch."
The deep concrete borders are supposed to help with drainage along Adams Street, but Redmon says, it does the opposite.
"One time it flooded out the sewage got stopped up, everything in our house got backed up and our yard was full of sewage" said Redmon.
Redmon told KARK she and children have fallen in the ditch and suffered from flooding, all within the past three years.
"Those get to your heart" said Public Works Director Steve Beck.
Beck says the city wants to repair the cracks and the ditches, but there is a long list of people who've been waiting for years.
Beck said, "A list been around for a while, in excess of $700 million. It could be bigger than that."
At Tuesday's board of director's meeting, the board agreed to add a proposal to hold a special election to continue a millage tax that's been funding source they've relied on since 1958.
It would add another $105 million to the public works pot over a 15 year period. Redmon hopes one day soon the money will make it's way to her street.
"I want to see the city cover it up. I wanted it covered when we first moved here," she said.
A portion of the increased sales tax goes to help public works, but it will only cover about 10 percent of the projects.
Right now taxpayers pay 3.3 mill and the board is discussing dropping it to 3 mill.
The change means, if your home is $100,000 , you'd see an average $6 in savings each year. City directors will vote on the special election at their next meeting, July 3rd.
Right now the city relies on a millage tax that puts money toward repairing a long lists of problem streets and drainage areas that have gone unfunded for years.
One in major need of repair is a deep ditch right outside of Dorothy Redmon's home. She described the moment she tripped over a tree and inside the ditch.
"I fell backwards and hit the back of my head," Redmon said. "It's very dangerous, I have my nieces and nephews and they come over there and they play, they like to jump over the ditch."
The deep concrete borders are supposed to help with drainage along Adams Street, but Redmon says, it does the opposite.
"One time it flooded out the sewage got stopped up, everything in our house got backed up and our yard was full of sewage" said Redmon.
Redmon told KARK she and children have fallen in the ditch and suffered from flooding, all within the past three years.
"Those get to your heart" said Public Works Director Steve Beck.
Beck says the city wants to repair the cracks and the ditches, but there is a long list of people who've been waiting for years.
Beck said, "A list been around for a while, in excess of $700 million. It could be bigger than that."
At Tuesday's board of director's meeting, the board agreed to add a proposal to hold a special election to continue a millage tax that's been funding source they've relied on since 1958.
It would add another $105 million to the public works pot over a 15 year period. Redmon hopes one day soon the money will make it's way to her street.
"I want to see the city cover it up. I wanted it covered when we first moved here," she said.
A portion of the increased sales tax goes to help public works, but it will only cover about 10 percent of the projects.
Right now taxpayers pay 3.3 mill and the board is discussing dropping it to 3 mill.
The change means, if your home is $100,000 , you'd see an average $6 in savings each year. City directors will vote on the special election at their next meeting, July 3rd.
