Fact sheet Available for Upcoming Calhoun County Sales Tax and Bond Issue Election

by Kristin Higgins - September 16, 2024

Voters in Calhoun County will have a local ballot measure to decide when they vote in the November general election.

The Public Policy Center at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture partnered with the Calhoun County Extension Office to produce a fact sheet explaining the countywide ballot issue. 

Voters will decide whether to approve:

• A temporary 0.375% countywide sales and use tax and associated bond issue of up to $3,050,000 to pay for county park improvements. 

If approved, the local ballot issue would increase the county sales tax rate by 0.375% to 3% to pay off the bond debt which would be issued to make improvements to the county's rodeo arena and Woodberry Community Park.

The sales tax would generate an estimated $307,567 a year, according to the Calhoun County Judge. He estimated the cost of covering the 5,000-seat arena to be $2.7 million. 

County voters in March 2024 approved a permanent sales tax of .125% to maintain county parks but rejected a bond issue and temporary 0.375% sales tax to construct a cover at the arena or pay for other park construction projects. Voter turnout was 35% in Calhoun County for this election. Voters approved the .125% sales tax by a vote of 508 to 470, and rejected the bond issue and temporary sales tax by a vote of 466 to 515, according to the Secretary of State’s online election records.

Download the fact sheet at: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/business-communities/voter-education/docs/calhoun-county-ballot-issue-2024.pdf 

Find More Information
The voter guide produced by the Public Policy Center includes more information about the Calhoun County ballot issue, including what supporters and opponents say, information about surrounding county sales taxes, and answers to voters’ frequently asked questions. Find similar fact sheets for statewide ballot issues at www.uaex.uada.edu/ballot.