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Early voting starts in sales tax election in Jonesboro, Brookland, Lawrence County

Early voting starts today for three key issues that will affect residents in two counties.  In Craighead County, voters in Jonesboro and Brookland are going to the polls over separate sales tax issues. Jonesboro voters are deciding a one-cent sales tax issue that is split in two parts.  The first proposal is a 7/8 cent sales tax that would be used for building 20 transportation projects in Jonesboro.  That would generate over 14-million-dollars a year.  The second proposal is a 1/8 cent sales tax that would create the Jonesboro Economic Development Commission, to help bring jobs to the region.  That would generate about two-million-dollars a year. 

The city of Brookland is also holding an election, which would ask voters to support a two-cent sales tax increase.  Brookland Mayor Kenneth Jones says the funds would go toward a new water tank and well for the city.  He says if the tax passes, the city would enter into a 30-year, $4.7 million bond, which will be used to construct a 450-thousand gallon tank.  Jones says he hopes the bond will be paid off in 15 years.  Early voting on those issues takes place at the Craighead County Courthouse Election Annex on Jefferson Street in Jonesboro and at the Lake City Courthouse.  Early voting takes place today through Friday and on Monday from eight to five.

In Lawrence County, residents will be voting on two measures related to an effort to build a new county jail in Walnut Ridge.  The proposed one-cent sales tax proposal is split in two parts.  A 3/8-cent sales tax would be put in place for 22 years to help pay for over nine-million dollars in bonds that will be used to build a new jail.  The second part of the proposals is a permanent 1/8-cent sales tax that would be used for the upkeep of a new jail.  Early voting takes place at the Lawrence County courthouse in Walnut Ridge today through Friday from eight to 4:30 and on Monday at the same times.  The regular election for all of those issues takes place November 10th.

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.