LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — The Little Rock unions for the city's police officers and firefighters announced their support for Mayor Frank Scott Jr's 1% sales tax increase — but despite that, not everyone is convinced.
"It's vitally important if we are going to have a growing city and a transforming city, it has to be safe," said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.
The mayor is making his final push for the sales tax increase.
If both the 5/8ths and 3/8ths tax increases are passed by voters, it will generate $65 million for things like public safety, economic development, public infrastructure, and parks and recreation.
Both unions for firefighters and police officers are showing their support for the tax.
The president of the Little Rock Firefighters Association said money from the tax would go towards a new fire station near Robinson, new fire trucks, and renovations to current facilities.
Police said the money would fund new patrol cars, technology upgrades for the real-time crime center, and crisis response efforts.
"If you give us the resources, the equipment, the response-time capabilities that we need then we are going to continue to give y'all the first-class fire department that you deserve," said Matthew Stallings, president of the IAFF (Little Rock firefighters) #34.
"Having a better fleet on the road, having better technology, not only protects the officers, but protects the citizens and allows us to give a better quality of service to the citizens of Little Rock," said Ronnie Morgan, president of the Little Rock Fraternal Order of Police.
Mayor Scott also announced unanimous support from the city's board of directors.
"It takes those expenses off our budget, which means we can take that money and then we can start dealing with roads, and homelessness, and streets and drainage where we couldn't before because that money went into other areas," said Dean Kempuris, a Little Rock board director.
But not everyone is in favor of a tax increase.
Christian Olson, who lives in Little Rock, questions the benefits of the tax during inflation.
"We think this is a terrible time to add to the cost of living. I know when take my boys to get a bite to eat and I look at the tax and the price it kind of floors me. It makes me a little sick each time," said Olson.
The Arkansas Community Organization and Citizens for an Affordable Little Rock have also announced they are against the tax.