LOCAL WANTS ‘HAMBURGER TAX’ REPEALED A&P member Haak: People need to be better educated on what funds do for community By: Becky Bell - Texarkana Gazette A petition that has been circulating for months to repeal the 2 percent tax on restaurant and fast food purchases was turned in to Texarkana, Ark., City Hall on Friday afternoon. The tax is commonly known as the “hamburger tax.” The petition, which has more than 1,400 signatures on 69 pages, was turned in to interim City Clerk Heather Soyars with an attached letter signed by Donnie Walden, a citizen of Texarkana, Ark. “My interest in this project is to give the voters of Texarkana, Ark., an opportunity to vote to repeal the 2 percent tax on restaurants and fast-food outlets,” Walden wrote. “When on the ballot, this will give the citizens an opportunity to say yes or no.” For the past couple of years, much controversy has been brewing about how much the Advertising and Promotion Commission has distributed money to Holiday Springs Water Park and Arkansas Convention Center. The commission is in control of dispersing the 2 percent tax, the city has pledged $800,000 toward the water park, and the park will receive $250,000 each year from the A&P Commission for the next 20 years. The park is owned by Dr. Hiren Patel. Soyars said she would meet with City Attorney George Matteson on Monday to discuss the petition. Matteson said he had no comment until he had an opportunity to review the documents. In a former story, Alex Reed, director of communication for the Arkansas Secretary of State’s Office, said in cities where mayors are elected as they are in Texarkana, Ark., a certain number of people have to sign the petition in order for it to go to the polls. “Fifteen percent of those who voted in the last mayoral election must be gathered for the petition to be taken to the voters,” Reed said. This would mean since 6,890 voters participated in the 2010 mayoral election, it would take 1,034 signatures to put this matter on the ballot. Former Mayor Bobby Ferguson said to his best recollection, the city would have 10 days to certify the names and then have to call an election within 30 days. Ferguson served as mayor for 24 years. “I think people should have a say-so in the taxes they pay,” Ferguson said. “I think they have a say in how it’s being spent, and it’s just a very few that are controlling the A&P, and I think the citizens should have a voice if they wish to continue paying it. I think there is an abuse of it right now. “I think there has been an abuse of private enterprises, maintenance and rebating all the taxes to a private enterprise and furnishing a private industry—the convention center and water park.” Although he is not in agreement with how the A&P Commission has dispersed money, Ferguson said he did not want people to think he had something against Patel or other agencies supported by the commission. “There are a lot of excellent agencies supported by the A&wP, and I don’t have anything against Dr. Patel. Dr. Patel is an excellent businessman, and I have no hard feeling about his project and no qualms with him and his dealings. I wish the city of Texarkana, Ark., had someone with his capabilities negotiating for our citizens.” Longtime A&P Commissioner Debbie Haak said she wants citizens to remember all the things the commission has done for the city. She said the commission helped bring more than 500 people to Texarkana last weekend for the Dixie Youth AA World Series. The commission voted to give Texarkana, Ark., Baseball Association an additional $35,000 earlier this month to make sure the tournament would be a success. “I see all the great things A&P has done. We had all those people in town last weekend for the (TABA), and it was fabulous. I think the A&P tax is a gift in Texarkana—at the walking trails, at the fair. … The A&P increases the quality of life in Texarkana. Without it, there would be no money for walking trails, no money for the Four States arena, no baseball field.” Haak said the people of Texarkana needed to be better educated on what the money from the A&P does, and then they would be more likely to appreciate the funding. Mayor Wayne Smith said that he thinks the citizens have the right to vote on this issue. “Our state statute allows the citizens to petition the government, and I respect the citizens’ right to do that,” Smith said. “It is now up to the citizens of Texarkana, Ark., to see if they want to repeal or continue this tax. As the mayor, as any elected official should, I will respect the will of our citizens.” Each petition for the special election reads as follows: “To the Honorable Wayne Smith, Mayor of Texarkana, Ark., and Heather Soyars, acting City Clerk, we the undersigned legal voters of the city of Texarkana, Ark., respectfully order by this, our petition, that a special election be held so that the voters of this municipality may elect to REPEAL TEXARKANA CITY ORDINANCE L276; and by this, our petition, order that the same be submitted to the people of this said municipality, and each of us for himself says: “I have personally signed this petition: I am a legal voter of the State of Arkansas, and my printed name, date of birth, residency, city or town of residence and the date of signing this petition are correctly written after my signature.”
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 02:55:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015