Gosnell council discusses possible tax

During the Gosnell City Council's regular meeting Tuesday, Gosnell Mayor Don Marshall asked council members to begin talking to their constituents and getting feedback about an additional half cent sales tax.

"It was brought to my attention that we have two aging fire trucks and a garbage truck that will need to be replaced," Marshall said. "I don't see how we can do that without additional financing. I want to know what you (the council) and the community thinks about a half cent sales tax that will go strictly for police and fire. It would be like what Blytheville has. Half would go to police and half would go to fire. I would be in support of this myself because I know the need. I wanted to make this public so everyone knows this is being discussed."

Citizen Ken Robinson said he thought part of the 1.5 cent sales tax passed several years ago was suppose to go to the police department. Alderman Eric Blount told Robinson that sales tax goes into the general fund.

"I don't like raising taxes," Blount said. "We have done a great job of making cuts and making things work. We need to look at this again and work something out. There is a tipping point so we have to be careful. I don't want people to say they don't want to live here because the taxes are too high."

Alderman Josh Trapp agreed, saying he was also against an additional tax and wanted to look for another solution. Marshall said there would be more information about what a half cent sales tax could do for the city at the council's next meeting.

In other business, citizen Jean Carmon addressed the council about a fire hydrant down from her house that is covered by weeds and trees. Carmon and her husband cut down the brush in front of the hydrant but the back still needs to be cleared. She asked whose responsibility it was to keep up the fire hydrants in the city. City clerk Kathy Hogan said according to the the Municipal League, it's the city's responsibility if the city has its own water department and fire department, which Gosnell does not have. After some discussion, it was decided that the Fire Department and city would work together to make sure the fire hydrant is cleared of trees and weeds.

Marshall also addressed yard sale signs. He said the city's yard sale ordinance prohibits signs from being hung on poles and street signs. Marshall said if people hang a yard sale sign they need to take them down the same day. He also announced that Gosnell's annual Cotton Festival would be October 2-3. For more information, citizens can check the city of Gosnell's Facebook page.

State Representative Dave Wallace attended the meeting, speaking briefly to the council and staying after the meeting to talk with citizens one-on-one. He answered questions about religious freedom, health care and more.

"I'm in my first term and when I sat in that house seat for the first time it was awe inspiring," Wallace said. "You know you have a chance to make a difference. I was a council member in Leachville for a long, long time. Our small towns are the backbone of Arkansas. I want to encourage you all to run for state or local office because you can make a difference. I'm running for senate this time. There are two parts this job. One is what we do in Little Rock and the other what we do here. What we do here is the most important and I will continue to support that as I move forward."