Big win for Team Jonesboro
JONESBORO, Ark. – A jam-packed Jonesboro City Council meeting on Tuesday night decided to let the people make the decision on the Team Jonesboro effort.
It’s exactly what they were hoping to see.
By a vote of 6 to 1, the Jonesboro City Council advanced Team Jonesboro’s 1-percent sales tax effort to the voters (Ordinance 19-031). The only councilman voting no was Bobby Long – presently seeking office for State Representative.
A special election will be organized this November to give the Jonesboro voters the final say. Ordinance 19-030 was also passed to set the special election. All members of the council supported it once again – except for Long.
Although there was one man who spoke against having a special election to decide this matter, Team Jonesboro supporters said this meant more attention, discussion, and debate about the topic. One of those spearheading the effort, Scott McDaniel, spoke to the council and emphasized that a special election now would mean more focus on this issue, rather than it being muddled with national politics during a general election.
“You have a room full of people here,” McDaniel said. “Had a room full of people here for quite sometime. You’ve had above the fold coverage weekly, almost. You’ve had KAIT reports. During a Trump election, would you have that? Or would this get buried to the bottom of a ballot? It would. The reality is, this is the biggest news story in Jonesboro right now and will continue to be so. The reality is, this is a special issue and we are requesting a special election.”
“When Team Jonesboro was started, the idea was simple – create an honest and transparent driving force to bring positive growth, great amenities and more entertainment options to Jonesboro while supporting the first responders who work tirelessly to keep Jonesboro families safe,” noted A&P Chair and Team Jonesboro advocate Jerry Morgan “We are very pleased and excited that the City Council supports allowing the voters a say in what kind of city they want Jonesboro to become.”
A recent endorsement list released by Team Jonesboro showed that in excess of 600 people have announced their public support for the initiative, which includes a temporary 1 cent sales tax increase for a period of 12 years. Included on that list is Jonesboro resident Haley Stotts, who detailed her excitement for the initiative, ”This grassroots, city-wide movement isn’t just pointing out areas where our community could and should grow, it is offering solutions. Solutions that will enhance Jonesboro’s safety by supporting the police and fire departments; solutions that will attract more families and young, bright minds alike to stay, play, work and grow our community.”
“We feel the people of Jonesboro are ready for more positive change and less agenda serving politics that divide our city and weaken our community. Team Jonesboro is about unity and taking the necessary steps to make Jonesboro a safer and more vibrant community,” added committee chair Scott McDaniel.
Team Jonesboro encourages anyone interested in learning more about the initiative to visit their website, TeamJonesboro.com and to look for updates and future announcements via their Facebook page.
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