Friends, 

The best part of my job is the opportunity to get out of City Hall and talk to you in your neighborhoods, workplaces, community centers and churches. It's always refreshing to hear what's on the minds of Little Rock residents and how they want to help improve our City.

Lately, city officials and I have been hearing insightful feedback from you regarding a proposed one percent sales tax increase. The sales tax would fund significant, tangible public safety and public infrastructure upgrades while investing in transformational improvements to our parks system. This week, our series of community meetings on the proposal continues with three more town hall-style listening sessions.

I truly appreciate the valuable comments and suggestions we've heard so far, and I'm eager to listen to voters in Wards 7, 2 and 6 this week. We're considering the input of every resident as we determine our next steps. You are helping us decide on the framework of the tax as well as when to hold the election. Your participation and voice are important as I make recommendations to the Little Rock Board of Directors on both the spending plan and the timing later this month. The Board of Directors must approve the framework for the tax and the date of the election. 

The current proposed framework projects at least $600 million over 10 years to fund what I call the "four Ps": Public Safety, Public Infrastructure, Parks, and the Port and Economic Development. With the tax, we can both sustain and strengthen the Little Rock Police Department and Little Rock Fire Department with competitive salaries, new vehicles and state-of-the-art technology. It directs dollars toward projects and programs that will invigorate our economy.

With a sales tax increase, we will transform delivery of city services, maintain and improve our parks, and attract new jobs to grow a more robust tax base that will allow us to pursue other aspirational goals and quality-of-life enhancements.

No matter where I go in Little Rock, I always hear from people working to maintain Little Rock's position as the best place in the country to live, work and raise a family. An additional sales tax will do that. I hope to hear from more of you this week about how we can work together as our City reaches its full potential!

This week's scheduled meetings are:

• Today, (Monday, Aug. 21), Ward 7, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 5300 Stagecoach Road, 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, Aug. 23, Ward 2, Southwest Community Center, 6401 Baseline Road, 6 p.m. 
• Thursday, Aug. 24, Ward 6, The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St., 6 p.m.

• There is no Little Rock Board of Directors meeting this week. The next meeting will be an agenda-setting session on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 4 p.m. at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. 
• Don't forget the three community meetings this week to give residents an opportunity to provide input to the Board of Directors on a potential sales tax proposal. Today (Monday, Aug. 21) at 6 p.m., the Ward 7 meeting is at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 5300 Stagecoach Road. Wednesday, Aug. 23, is the Ward 2 meeting at Southwest Community Center, 6401 Baseline., at 6 p.m., and Thursday, Aug. 24, is the Ward 6 meeting at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St., at 6 p.m. 
• With temperatures forecasted to reach triple digits all week, the city is operating its Cooling Centers at community centers across Little Rock from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The cooling centers are open to any resident seeking a break from the oppressive heat. (As a reminder, city employees suspend outdoor work if the heat index reaches 105 degrees or higher, meaning that there will likely be delays in yard waste pickup this week.)