The Bella Vista City Council discussed a resolution to hire legal counsel for next year's proposed sales tax and capital improvement bond election during its Monday, Sept. 16, regular meeting.
The city's staff attorney, Jason Kelley, said the legal counsel in question would be a specialty firm that can prepare necessary ordinances and formulate a legal opinion regarding the tax status of these bonds.
If the bonds in question can be tax-exempt, he said, that makes them more marketable.
The city has previously expressed interest in getting this issue on the March primary ballot, and Kelley said that the council needs to move quickly to make that possible.
Mayor Peter Christie said he'd prefer to use the primary election so that locals can focus on the issue more clearly.
"I'd like to make sure it doesn't get lost in the presidential election," he said.
The issue in question is a $20 million bond, to be secured by a 1 percent sales tax, to support building a new police station and court facility, raze and rebuild Fire Station 3 on Glasgow Road and construct a fire training facility, which was approved by council during the Monday, Aug. 26, regular meeting.
Kelley explained that, while the resolution in front of the council does not currently name a law firm, city staff will interview the three firms that have responded to a request for qualifications this week and a firm will be selected before the council votes on this resolution during the Monday, Sept. 23, regular meeting.
"There will be a fill-in to that blank," he said.
Councilmember John Flynn said that hiring this firm means there will be more cost associated with the election even if voters do not approve the proposal.
The council also looked at millage rates, which have to be approved by Oct. 20.
The proposed rate is 5.5 mills, with 4.0 going to the general operating fund, 0.5 mills for police pensions and 1.0 mills for the firefighters' pensions.
The 1.5 mills for police and fire pensions was approved by voters in 2014 and is separate from the city's primary millage rate.
Christie said the city may need some additional funds for necessary headcount increases, as well as an expiring SAFER grant which pays a portion of salaries for new firefighter positions -- which may require an increase in the millage. Christie said he would like to see what the impact of internet sales tax will be before moving ahead, if possible, but that information will not be available in time for the regular meeting.
Kelley said he's not entirely certain the council can hold a special meeting for an item it could have addressed previously but will have a more concrete answer in time for the regular meeting.
The council also discussed storm damage on the trails, the ongoing Sunset Drive project, the Mercy Way Bridge project and a left-turn-lane project on U.S. Highway 71.
General News on 09/18/2019