Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Community members gathered Thursday night for a town hall hosted by a Craighead County Justice of the Peace to discuss two local issues to be on the November ballot.
The town hall, hosted by Justice of the Peace for District 2 Garrett Barnes, discussed the proposed public safety tax ballot issue, in which Barnes was joined by Ethan Ivy with Safety First for Jonesboro, the group comprised of various public safety officials that petitioned to place the issue before voters.
That was followed by a discussion of the ballot issue of combining the roles of the Craighead County collector and treasurer. Barnes was joined by Robin Martin, who has frequently spoken against the measure in previous quorum court meetings.
Proposed Public Safety Sales Tax Discussion
The proposed 5/8 cent sales tax, if approved, will be used to fund “public safety services, initiatives, facilities, infrastructure, maintenance and operations.”
Safety First for Jonesboro leadership have previously said the tax revenue would be dedicated exclusively to Jonesboro’s police, fire and E-911 dispatch services. The money would help fund construction of a new police station, new fire stations and the hiring of additional police officers, firefighters and dispatchers.
“This would bring in $16.5 million per year that would be restricted to public safety. This would be able to take care of many of the items that we’ve fallen behind on here in Jonesboro,” Ivy said. He noted that Jonesboro was not in the top 10 of cities in the state regarding the amount of money collected from sales taxes.
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During his presentation, Ivy, a firefighter of 10 years, told those in attendance that Jonesboro will need three more fire stations by the end of the decade. In addition, he said the Jonesboro Police Department needs more officers, as well as new infrastructure, and the E911 dispatch center needed more dispatchers to handle increasing call volumes.
Ivy said the sales tax would only help first responders. If someone made a $10 purchase, that would result in a $0.07 sales tax.
“For some people, I know that’s not nothing, but it will definitely make a big difference for first responders,” he said.
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During the discussion, one of the attendees asked if the tax passed if there would be a sunset clause. Ivy responded that a previous public safety tax, which had a five-year sunset clause, was beneficial while it was enacted, but the need for public safety improvements had grown since that tax’s end. This new tax, if approved, would be in perpetuity.
Another attendee asked how insurance rates could be affected if the tax passes.
Ivy responded that insurance rates would likely not be immediately affected, as Jonesboro Fire Department’s ISO rating remains a Class 1, that rating was “teetering on the edge.” Fire departments with higher ratings have lower fire insurance rates, and if that rating dropped, homeowners might not see immediate change, but business owners could see higher insurance rates, he said.
Other questions discussed in this part of the town hall included how Jonesboro’s fire department staffing compares to national standards, the potential for the phasing out of an artificial intelligence, non-emergency dispatch responder if the tax passes, and more.
Proposed County Office Combination Discussion
After a brief break, attendees heard information regarding the proposed combination of the offices of the Craighead County collector and treasurer. The Craighead County quorum court approved placing the issue before voters in February.
The issue, if approved, would combine the two offices in January 2031. Proponents of the measure have said it would save the county government money and increase efficiency, while opponents have cited concerns regarding decreased oversight over government dollars, potentially spending more money in the long run, and that the study conducted beforehand to see if the offices could be combined was “misleading.”
During her presentation, Martin cited Arkansas Code 14-14-606, which outlines requirements governments must follow if changes to governmental structure are to be made. According to the law, a comprehensive analysis must show improved efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, and accountability to the public.
The study compared county governments with combined collector treasurer offices, all except for one, Martin said, were smaller that Craighead’s government. Sebastian County was comparable, she said, but did not provide enough comparative evidence as how its combined collector/treasurer position would compare against Craighead’s separate offices.
“It really glossed over that,” Martin said.
Barnes joined the conversation, stating he had concerns with the ballot issue because the current treasurer, Terry McNatt, had clean federal audits the past 12 years.
Martin and audience members also raised concerns over possible fewer government checks and balances, concerned another “Kade Holliday” situation could happen if the offices are combined. Holliday was a Craighead County clerk who was convicted in 2022 of taking more than $1.5 million in county funds to subsidize his businesses.
Craighead County Judge Marvin Day, who said he was attending as a private citizen, spoke in favor of the ballot issue. As county judge, he said, he acts as the “CEO of the county” and must find ways to spend money responsibly.
Day said the issue could save the county around $150,000 per year and eliminate an elected position. He noted that the issue would not pit currently elected officials against each other. Responding to concerns regarding another Holliday situation, Day contended that the county had the same separate offices it does now when Holliday was stealing money.
Day outlined checks and balances that were implemented followed the Holliday incident, including read-only access accounts and verification of where money was being sent.
Martin later said Sebastian County spends $14.50 per citizen in its combined department, while Craighead spends $11.39 per citizen. “We’re already doing it more efficiently,” she said. Day responded that Craighead’s dollar amount would “go down” if the issue passed.
The full town hall can be viewed here.
Early voting for the 2026 general election begins Oct. 19 and will conclude Nov. 2. Election Day will be Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The deadline to register to vote for this election is Monday, Oct. 5. Click here for voter registration information. To see a sample ballot click here.
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