Friends, 

Wednesday marks Juneteenth, a celebration of freedom and progress for the Black community and all Americans. I am honored to serve as Mayor of a diverse, inclusive City that values and understands the importance of Juneteenth. As such, we observe Juneteenth as a paid holiday for city employees, and I encourage our team members and residents to mark Juneteenth 2024 in an intentional and meaningful way.

This past weekend was full of Juneteenth activities like the 15th annual Juneteenth in Da Rock at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and the Juneteenth Arkansas festival and parade in the River Market downtown. I hope you, too, celebrated this past weekend as we continue to unite for a stronger and more prosperous future.

To be sure, we are making progress. Last month, we witnessed history as a statue of Little Rock's own Daisy Gatson Bates was unveiled in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The statue stands alongside other historical figures whose leadership and actions transformed our country. May we always reflect on her legacy as a trailblazer for civil rights here in our hometown and across the United States. 

I recorded my annual Juneteenth video message outside the home of L.C. and Daisy Bates on 28th Street in our historic South End neighborhood. This home is an important site for the civil rights movement and American history. As we reflect on Juneteenth 2024, please join me in recognizing the impact of Mrs. Bates, the freed slaves in Galveston in 1865, and the other pioneers who have led us down the long road to freedom, equity and justice.

Happy Juneteenth, Little Rock!

Although our initial round of community meetings to discuss the sales tax proposal came to a close last month, our goal is to make sure every Little Rock resident is equipped with the knowledge to make an informed decision about the City's future at the polls in November. We will continue throughout the summer to talk about how your investment in Little Rock will result in safer streets and stronger neighborhoods.

If your neighborhood association, community group, workplace or other organization would like us to come talk to you about the sales tax, just ask! Visit our Results For The Rock web page and click on the "Request a Speaker or Presentation for Your Meeting or Event" button. Our team will be in touch with you to get details and set up a time for us to engage in a conversation, presentation and/or question-and-answer session.

As your City continues to do more with less, we are ensuring we deliver results for our residents. The sales tax increase will allow us to invest in additional, state-of-the art technology for the LRPD, replacement vehicles for our aging police and fire fleets and improvements to our streets and sidewalks. We also recognize the importance of quality-of-life amenities for young families, seasoned residents and everyone in between. That's why we would re-investing in our parks, create a senior center and construct new youth sports complexes.

Learn more about the plan on our website or schedule us to speak at your next meeting or event!

This morning, we hosted the National League of Cities for a stop on its centennial tour. The NLC is celebrating 100 years as an organization serving in an advisory and advocacy capacity for municipalities across the country. Arkansas's capital city is one of 100 cities being visited as part of this Centennial Roadshow.

It was a privilege to welcome (NLC dignitary names) to Little Rock in their RV to highlight the best of our City. We visited City Hall, Little Rock Central High School, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts and the Clinton Presidential Center on their tour of our City. 

Little Rock has enjoyed a long, positive partnership with NLC. Former Mayor Mark Stodola is a past president of the organization, and Little Rock stands out as a leading city within the organization, having been recipient of numerous awards over the years. 

The NLC roadshow is part of a year-long centennial celebration where the organization is spotlighting the diversity, resilience and transformation of the cities it visits.

• The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, June 18, at 6 p.m. at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock's Facebook and YouTube pages. To view the agenda for Tuesday's meeting, click here. 
• City of Little Rock offices will be closed Wednesday, June 19, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. Residential trash and recycling services Wednesday through Friday will be delayed by one day because of the holiday.
• Join our friends at the MacArthur Museum of Military History on Tuesday (June 18) for Movies at MacArthur, a curated film experience in collaboration with Arkansas PBS. Refreshments are available and there will be a discussion on the film, "The Berlin Airlift." The free event begins at 6:30 p.m.
• The Little Rock Board of Adjustment meets on Thursday, June 20, at 4 p.m. at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St. The Board of Adjustment considers requests for variances from zoning requirements.