LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Starting Thursday, people in Little Rock will be able to weigh in on the future of their city, in a series of public meetings. Officials said that there are billions of dollars worth of improvements to be made city-wide.
Bruce Moore, Little Rock City Manager, said this is all centered around a special election that will happen in August. Where voters will be asked to weigh in on spending money to improve things, such as city streets and parks.
"This is a capital bond issue that has really been instrumental in helping build Little Rock," he said.
That growth could continue if Little Rock residents renew a millage in a couple of months.
"I think there are definitely opportunities for us to utilize those funds very well and to make the city better," Patricia Blick, Quapaw Quarter Association Executive Director, said.
Luckily, it won't cost any more than what you are already pay. Moore said, that it's an existing property tax that has been around since the 1950's.
"It doesn't raise your property taxes, it doesn't raise any taxes. It just allows us to continue the progress that we've made by utilizing the millage," said Moore.
The city will host meetings throughout the month of June to explain the six questions that will be on the ballot. The capital improvement bonds include $40.5 million to street improvements and $40.5 million to drainage improvements, which would all be evenly spread throughout the seven wards in Little Rock.
Something Moore said is critical for the city.
"We have over a billion dollars worth of needs, when you think about street and drainage improvements," he said.
According to Moore, the rest of the money will go towards purchasing fire trucks; improving city parks, including the Little Rock Zoo; building a new district courts facility and even expanding the Port of Little Rock.
Blick believes these funds are all necessary.
"Obviously if we don't have that support, our public facilities will suffer," she said.
Blick understands, all too well, the importance of having more money pumped into the city's infrastructure, because she works in the historic neighborhoods daily.
"Frankly, there are challenges, I mean, the sidewalks need attention and we just have not had a great resource of funding to do a holistic approach," she said.
Both Blick and Moore believe, that if passed, this money would put the capital city on another level.
"We need to do what we can to improve the city, not only for visitors, but also for our residents," Blick said.
The first public input meeting will be held on Thursday, June 2, at 6:00 p.m. at the Dunbar Community Center.
The special election is set for Tuesday, Aug. 9.