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Team Jonesboro is a grassroots organization who sent a proposal to the City Council calling for a special election for voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax.The 12 year tax would generate revenue to go toward two categories. Half of the funds would go to support the city's first responders--police and fire departments. The other half would go toward funding new public improvement projects (quality of life). These are the stories that go into the details of the tax and what supporters and opponents have said.The special election for the sales tax takes place on September 10.---POLLING LOCATIONS FOR SEP 10---Election Day 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. at the following locations:ASU FIRST NATIONAL BANK ARENA (LOWER RED ENTRANCE), 217 OLYMPIC DR.ALLEN PARK COMMUNITY CENTER, 3609 RACE ST.EARL BELL COMMUNITY CENTER, 1212 S. CHURCH ST.FOREST HOME CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE, 2403 RITTER DRIVENETTLETON BAPTIST CHURCH (FORMERLY NAMED CRAIGHEAD COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS), 7001 JOHNSON AVE.PARKER PARK COMMUNITY CENTER, 1522 N. CHURCH ST.PHILADELPHIA FIRE STATION, 106 CR 307VALLEY VIEW CHURCH OF CHRIST, 4500 SOUTHWEST DR.WALNUT STREET BAPTIST CHURCH, 1910 SCENIC RD.All Election Day locations are polling centers. Voters can select any location to cast their ballot regardless of the location of their residence. ---EARLY VOTING TOTALS---As of 9/6 (Courtesy of Craighead Co. Clerk Kade Holliday's Office)Jonesboro - 1,262Lake City - 3Total - 1,265Total Jonesboro - 4,861Total Lake City - 19Overall Total - 4,880Update with new totals Monday, polls will be open from 8am-5pm at the Jonesboro Election Annex and Lake City Courthouse.

Team Jonesboro Releases List of Proposed Projects

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A list of proposed projects has been presented to the public by representatives of Team Jonesboro.  Several community members gave the public ideas on what could be presented to the Oversight Integrity Council as part of a sales tax proposal.  Between 92 and 115-million-dollars-worth of “quality of life” projects were presented.  Public safety improvements for the Jonesboro Police Department and the Jonesboro Fire Department are estimated between 87 and 99-million-dollars.  Here is a list of the ideas for possible quality of life projects:

  • Aquatic Center for holding swim meets, with a recreational pool: $15-18M
  • Bike and Pedestrian Trails for connectivity through Jonesboro: $5.2-10.5M
  • Sidewalks through Jonesboro: $12M
  • Outdoor Concert and Entertainment Venue (Amphitheatre): $10-12M
  • Volleyball and Multi-Sport Complex: $9.75-11.2M
  • General Parks and Pools throughout Jonesboro: $10-12M
  • Forum renovations and improvements: $7-9M
  • Enhanced mosquito control: $6M
  • Children’s Museum: $5-8M
  • Tennis indoor facility: $3.5-5M
  • Youth Sporting Complex: $3.5-5M
  • Senior Center: $2.5M-4M
  • Beautification and Pocket Parks: $2.5M
  • Dog Parks: $50,000-$500,000

Estimated totals are $92-million on the low end to $115.3 million dollars on the high end. 

For public safety projects, here are the projected projects:

JPD=Jonesboro Police Department

JFD=Jonesboro Fire Department

  • JPD-Operations Center: $15-25M
  • JPD-Substations: $2.5-5M
  • JPD-Radios: $7M
  • JPD-Vehicles (current staff): $7.5M
  • JPD-Cameras: $820,000
  • JPD-Swat Upgrades: $826,000
  • JPD-AXON Contract: $5.8M
  • JPD-New Officers: $17M
  • JPD-Vehicles (new officers): $1.2M
  • JFD-New Station 8: $2M
  • JFD-New Station 9: $2.5M
  • JFD-Replace Engine Trucks: $1.2M
  • JFD-Replace Ladder Trucks: $1.2M
  • JFD-New Engine Truck, Station 8: $590,000
  • JFD-New Engine Truck, Station 9: $600,000
  • JFD-Personnel at existing stations: $5.7M
  • JFD-Personnel at new stations: $15M

Estimated total is $87M on the low end and $99M on the high end.
 

A proposed one percent sales tax would be split with 50 percent being used for public safety and 50 percent for quality of life projects.  If passed by Jonesboro voters, the tax would last for 12 years.  The vote takes place September 10th.  

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Johnathan Reaves is the News Director for KASU Public Radio. As part of an Air Force Family, he moved to Arkansas from Minot, North Dakota in 1986. He was first bitten by the radio bug after he graduated from Gosnell High School in 1992. While working on his undergraduate degree, he worked at KOSE, a small 1,000 watt AM commercial station in Osceola, Arkansas. Upon graduation from Arkansas State University in 1996 with a degree in Radio-Television Broadcast News, he decided that he wanted to stay in radio news. He moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas and worked for East Arkansas Broadcasters as news director and was there for 16 years.