Friends,

Early voting began today in one of the most consequential elections In our nation’s history, an election that is also extremely important for the future of the City of Little Rock.

The Results For The Rock plan is a transformational investment in public safety, infrastructure, job creation and quality-of-life amenities. You will be asked on your ballot to decide whether to adopt an additional one-cent sales tax that would advance our City’s goal of being a catalyst for the new South. 

The Results For The Rock penny investment proposal is expected to generate more than $650 million over the next 10 years to be used to support new projects as well as Little Rock’s long-term, ongoing needs. In a united vote, City Directors in July approved the detailed spending plan for this additional revenue, ensuring we will continue to be good stewards of your tax dollars.

Comprehensive details related to every part of the Results For The Rock proposal can be found on our website. Here is a brief overview of the plan. 

• We will invest more than $130 million in Public Safety. This will supplement the nearly 60 percent of our annual budget that is directed toward public safety, our foremost priority. The additional money will fund new Little Rock Police Department, Fire Department and Code Enforcement vehicles and equipment, making our streets safer and neighborhoods stronger. State-of-the-art technology upgrades for our Real-Time Crime Center mean LRPD will better be able to proactively prevent crimes and quickly solve them.
• More than $133 million in Public Infrastructure money will pay for street and sidewalk construction and drainage improvements. Street construction costs have doubled in the last decade, so this investment is essential as we prioritize the “nuts and bolts” of City government.
• We know that both Millennials and our “seasoned" generation make their relocation decisions based on quality of life and place. So, we are taking the extra step to live into our motto as a “City in a Park” by investing a total of about $300 million in our Parks and Recreation Department. About $110 million will be used to construct an indoor sports and entertainment complex in Downtown Little Rock near the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and an outdoor complex west of Interstate 430. The Little Rock Zoo —one of our State’s premier family and educational attractions — will receive $40 million to support operations and advance its Master Plan, and we would reimagine War Memorial and Hindman Parks. Going forward, we will invest close to $50 million in Parks operations and maintenance to ensure these amenities serve our residents and guests for generations to come.
• Over the last few years, a City investment of $30 million has resulted in more than $830 million in private dollars at the Port of Little Rock - an astonishing return on investment! Voters will be asked to fund another $30 million for the Port for land acquisition, infrastructure and other economic development needs. We all prosper when we strengthen our tax base through new jobs at the Port, Little Rock’s industrial park.

Voters will see two questions at the end of their ballots. Question 1 is a 3/8ths-cent tax that would pay for our ongoing needs like maintenance of parks and replacement of public safety vehicles. Question 2 is a temporary, 5/8ths-cent tax to fund one-time investments like new construction. This temporary tax would expire, or “sunset,” after 10 years.

The Results For The Rock proposal incorporates feedback and suggestions from our Board of Directors, department directors, and most importantly, residents of all seven Wards. It has been endorsed by the Little Rock Fraternal Order of Police and Little Rock's chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters, and by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

We have listened to residents from Pettaway to Pleasant Valley and from Chenal to College Station. The proposal is YOUR proposal, Little Rock, and it is a pathway to a stronger City.

There are 13 early voting locations in Pulaski County. Early voting is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Nov. 2. On Monday, Nov. 4, you can early vote from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pulaski County Regional Building, 501 W. Markham St.

Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.  If you vote on Election Day, you can find your polling place and get a sample ballot here.

As a thriving City, we celebrate our creative community and understand the nexus between the arts and quality-of-life and place within our community. Our team works daily to support and cultivate our creative economy. At the State of the City address earlier this year, we discussed how Little Rock is a regional hub for creativity and innovation, and how we were going to launch our iCreate initiative as a way to grow our creative economy.

We are excited to announce our first iCreate event, the iCreate Fall Crawl. This will be a vibrant celebration of local talent and creativity happening on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  We are inviting artists, makers, and creative vendors to showcase their work, connect with the community, and be part of this city-wide event. With multiple stops across downtown Little Rock, this is a chance for our creatives to shine, sell your creations, and engage with art lovers and supporters. This dynamic event that highlights the best of Little Rock's creative economy!

To participate, sign up here. Our team will review applications and select participants for this event. 

We will have many more details about the iCreate Fall Crawl soon. Stay tuned!

• The Little Rock Board of Directors will not meet this week. The next Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 4 p.m. at City Hall. Board members at that time will set the agenda for the next regular meeting.
• On Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m., the Little Rock Sustainability Commission will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3605 W. 12th St. The Sustainability Commission promotes environmental and economic health in the City.
• The Little Rock Police Department hosts its final quarterly meeting of this quarter on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. at the LRPD Southwest Station, 6401 Baseline Road. At the meeting, LRPD leadership will give updates on crime statistics and trends, and residents have the opportunity to provide feedback.
• Residents are encouraged to participate in an open-forum public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 5 p.m. at Christ Little Rock Church, 315 S. Hughes St. The Public Works Department is hosting the meeting to present plans and hear residents' comments regarding proposed improvements to sidewalks on Indian Trail in Ward 3.