Magnolia Arkansas Voters Approve Sales Tax Increase

Jun 27, 2012 | Susan McLain

Yesterday, voters in Magnolia, Arkansas “…approved raising the city’s sales tax during a special election…supporting the measure 616-276.”

The sales tax increase takes the city retail sales tax “…from three-fourths of a cent to a full penny effective Jan. 1, 2013.” The city council expects the tax to generate roughly $500,000.

The other option was to increase property tax. The positive vote for the sales tax indicates to Mayor Parnell Vann that “…the people of Magnolia have said that they like the governing body we have, and they want us to move this city forward, and we’re going to.”

Other decisions need to be made now such as how to use the funds, how to manage the funds—pay-as-you-go or issue bonds. Improvements on the list include police and fire department pensions, restoring cuts made in the 2012 budget, new headquarters for the police and street repairs. Additional items include fire trucks and new police-fire substation.

Sam Whitelaw, City Councilman, is “…happy that the City Council has avoided the potential creation of a property tax millage to support the city’s general fund.” He indicated that “…Tuesday’s vote will lead the way out of what…was ‘Frankly, a crisis we were under.’”

Many voters, according to Councilman James Moore, “…felt they were supporting the city’s policemen and firefighters through their ballots.”

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Avalara Author

Susan McLain

Avalara Author Susan McLain

Susan McLain began her career as a technical writer in technology industries such as satellite networking and medical devices. Her skills encompass technical and marketing writing, usability engineering, verification and validation testing and protocol writing, requirements development, business analysis, technical illustration/graphic design and marketing. She has owned her own business providing service to small to medium sized business and in other positions, she has been in project management, documentation and marketing. She is currently the content specialist for Avalara helping to “make sales tax less taxing.”