HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. (AP) - Voters in Helena-West Helena have approved a property tax increase to support the city’s schools, four months after a similar measure failed by just eight votes.
Complete but unofficial results from Tuesday’s election show the 9.75-mill increase passed by 79 votes. The measure will pay for a new junior high school that includes a 350-seat auditorium, several science labs and an indoor 30-yard football practice field.
The district was at risk of being added to the state’s facilities-distress list.
School Board President Andrew Bagley tells the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (https://bit.ly/2mt3nzx ) that the outcome is a boost for the community. Opponents had argued that taxpayers cannot afford the tax increase, which amounts to an additional $195 per year on a house valued at $100,000.
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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, https://www.arkansasonline.com
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