LITTLE ROCK – Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. issued the following statement today:

Over the last few weeks, I’ve listened to residents from every neighborhood provide input on a proposed one percent sales tax. They’ve discussed critical infrastructure, public safety and quality-of-life amenities. The people of Little Rock agree that our City needs and deserves the projects and programming that make up our tax proposal.

The purpose of our ward-by-ward community meetings was to gather resident feedback and decide the best timing option for a sales tax election. It’s clearly not a matter of if we hold an election, but when.

Early on, I decided that holding an election November 2024 is in the best interests of our City and its voters, but it was important for me to hear from residents in all seven wards. I’m glad we did that, as we received valuable feedback from every part of our city.

There are several challenges related to a November 2023 election, including a compressed window for voter education. A November 2024 election offers us time to continue discussions about the tax framework and priority needs. It provides the opportunity for a greater number of voices to be heard on this proposal to bring long-needed, transformational improvements to our City.

Little Rock is one of just a few growing, mid-size Southern cities. According to recent estimates, our population is now close to 207,000. To minimize our growing pains and invest in our future, we must fully fund our ongoing obligations and make long-term upgrades. We can accomplish those goals, and more, with a sales tax increase.

Since 2019, we’ve created more than 10,000 new jobs, and we have more people working in Little Rock than at any other point in its history. We’re experiencing a Downtown resurgence at the same time we’re earning national recognition as one of the best places in the country for young professionals and families.

As we move forward with a tax framework for voters to consider in 2024, we are incorporating the feedback we took from our ward meetings and advancing a tax plan that addresses our needs and focuses on strategic growth.  

We must enhance our crime reduction strategies to incorporate state-of-the-art technologies and better vehicles. We must repair our city’s streets and sidewalks and re-invest in our 63 city parks. We must create new recreational opportunities for all generations, like a senior activity center and an indoor/outdoor sports complex that will generate revenue and give Little Rock a real home field advantage in youth sports.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will talk more about these transformational investments that make our streets safer and our neighborhoods stronger. I look forward to those conversations and to a successful tax election next year.