This was drafted as a letter to the editor of the Jonesboro Sun, my favorite newspaper. However, it is longer than the 350 words allowed which, in and of itself, is not the sole reason for posting it here instead. The editor at the Sun has granted me a lot of latitude since 2019 and has only edited down one of my many letters submitted for his consideration to print. However, after reading the coverage in today’s paper on the city council meeting, Tuesday, Nov 2, it is questionable whether these 700+ words would have been accepted. A link to that Sun article is at the end of this post, the “bottom”. Given the suppression of the information that was readily available to Us all leading up to the vote, it’s important for readers to digest the “Fort Smith” option first and to, hopefully, share the post widely…as well as laying into those elected to represent you, Us. Below even the link to the Sun article is the contact information for the city council members who voted in this tax (but also includes Councilman Bobby Long, Ward 6, Position 1, who voted against the tax; he deserves Our support and thanks):
“At the city council meeting on Nov 2, 2021, the city of Jonesboro government voted to increase the “cost of eating” for everyone who eats a meal within the city limits. In a 11-1 vote (Councilman Bobby Long, Ward 6, Seat 1, voted against the tax), the city council ushered in a never before, brand new, 2% “Prepared Food Tax”, to be added to all restaurant, fast-food, deli, and “takeout” meals (such as rotisserie chicken), from grocery & convenience stores. Beginning on New Year’s Day 2022, if anyone doesn’t want to pay the tax, their only option is to buy the ingredients and cook all meals at home.
The Jonesboro Advertising & Promotions (A&P) Commission, supported by many residents and the Copenhaver administration, convinced the city council that it is better for the residents to add an estimated $100,000 per month permanently to the A&P Commission’s coffers, for a feasibility study on an indoor sports-complex. In contrast, the residents of Fort Smith AR, paid a total of $30,000, upfront and all-in, also for a “feasibility study” on an indoor sports-complex. Kudos to Fort Smith.
As was first reported in the news in April 2021, and updated as recently as October, the Fort Smith A&P Commission ponied-up $7,500, the city $7,500, and Arkansas matched both with a $15,000 grant, totaling $30,000. The feasibility study in Fort Smith begins in a few days and, only after receiving the results of the study, will the the city of Fort Smith decide if and how to proceed with funding the facility. Again, kudos to Fort Smith.
That bears repeating:
*Fort Smith A&P Commission committed $7,500 + City of Fort Smith, $7,500 + Arkansas grant, $15,000 = $30,000 total, after which Fort Smith will decide if and, then, how to fund the indoor sports facility. This is a best practice for protecting the taxpayers of Fort Smith; versus,
*Jonesboro’s 2% “Prepared Food Tax”, which is expected to add over $100,000+ per month to the coffers of the A&P Commission’s account, beginning January 1, 2022 – regardless of whether any facility is ever built. This is the most onerous practice possible, more so when the Fort Smith option was available and known.
Learning of this Fort Smith option a few days after the city council meeting on October 19. 2021, I emailed the city council, Mayor Copenhaver (through his Communications Director), and many other addressees on several occasions and I verbally shared the information at the city council meeting last Tuesday, before the vote.
So, the city council had evidence for at least 10 days that a vote to tax was not the only option. In fact, to tax was certainly the most harmful action to take against 100% of the residents, especially the 50% living in poverty and/or employed but struggling to make ends meet at the end of each month, as reported by the United Way of Northeast Arkansas.
More? For the A&P Commissioner to not be aware of what Fort Smith was pursuing, despite making 3-4 presentations in the council chambers of his and the city’s research into sports-complexes in and outside of Arkansas, is not plausible. Not only were there newspaper articles online since April 2021, but there was also reporting by other outlets, such as “Talk Business and Politics”, with statewide and northeast Arkansas editions.
Despite being a “volunteer”, the chair of the A&P Commission has been sanctioned as the subject matter expert for years. As a local business executive, he confidently ticked-off all the reasons to tax, yet none for not taxing, i.e., no other options. In fact, other than Councilman Long’s well-stated cautions against the tax, there was little, if any, acknowledgement or discussion amongst the proponents for the tax on any of the well-known concerns expressed by many residents about rising prices and inflation, the “forever-Covid” crisis, “putting the tax/cart before the feasibility study/horse”, and concern for those many residents who are still struggling to recover from March 2020.
Still, responsibility lies with the mayor who, along with the city council, failed all residents and visitors to our southern city, by not acting on the new information. They were notified of the Fort Smith option on October 24 and it was their responsibility to address the evidence before them and, then, to either vote down the most harmful option, or to delay the vote, as they had done recently regarding the Downtown Jonesboro Improvement District. Instead they ignored it, as did the Jonesboro Sun in the article it published on the vote.
By ignoring the Fort Smith option, and any other options that may have been available, Mayor Copenhaver and the administration that advises him, 11 council members, and the A&P Commissioner misled the many teenagers and young adults with their subterfuge. Instead of serving the future of Jonesboro with a true example of civic virtue, i.e., showing younger taxpayers how to govern with the best interests of all at the forefront, they promoted the “bright and shiny” bauble of a new indoor sports-complex in 2-4 years. As soon as a significantly less harmful option was available and proven, they could have demonstrated “honorable governance” through their actions. Upon learning new information, decide to vote against the tax, or a vote to delay that vote. Whereas, that $30,000 is a “win-win” and a best practice for protecting the estimated 80,000 residents they were elected to serve, they chose otherwise.
In promoting and clamoring for only taxation, in this case a tax that brings in ~100K monthly for the many meals consumed during the next 2-4 years, before anything opens for business, if anything ever does open, the government of Jonesboro used sincere youthful optimism for what the younger generations believe is a better future for future kids, as a shield for the taking of everyone’s private property.
Those with the authority to compel Us all to “pay the tax or only eat at home” publicly acted in the infinitely less civil and respectful way to not only those coming into adulthood, but also to all the constituents of Jonesboro, visitors and commuters, and to those the A&P Commission is charged to attract here.
As the tax doesn’t go into effect until January 1, 2022, Mayor Copenhaver has time to teach the young taxpayers on how to correct mistakes in a manner that best protects the “safety, health, and welfare” of all the people he was elected to “serve”.
Kudos to those who model the rigors of adulthood for the future public servants, elected officials and community members, as has Fort Smith, Arkansas. Kudos also to those who act to correct their mistakes, as We all make them. #JonesboroStrong deserves no less.
Feeling queasy? Here’s the Jonesboro Sun reporting the results:
Still rumbling? Here is the contact information for Our local elected representatives:
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