Albert “David” Hill

Albert “David” Hill, 72 of Alexander, passed away on August 29, 2017. He was born on September 29, 1944 to the late, W. T. and Winnie Hill in Auburn, California. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and could often be found taking his grandkids out on four wheelers.

Mr. Hill is preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, William, Charlie, and Claudius Hill; and sister, Faye Dixon. He is survived by his loving wife of 33 years, Daisy Hill; two sons, Preston McGriff and Scotty (Donna) McGriff; daughter, Tanya McFarland; four grandchildren, Ryan, JoAnna, Shelby and Dalton; and sister, Maude Palmer.

His wife Daisy is a former member of the Saline County (Woodland Hills) Water and Sewer Board and a former Alderwoman for Ward-2 on the Alexander City Council.

A celebration of life will be held at Dial and Dudley Funeral Home on Friday, September 1, 2017 at 10:00AM. Visitation will be Thursday from 6-8 at the funeral home. To sign on-line guest book, visit www.dialanddudleyfuneralhome.com.

Photo and information provided by
Dial and Dudley Funeral Home.

City of Alexander needs three volunteers

(Open letter to Alexander residents)

Dear City of Alexander Residents;

We need you! I am one of two members of the City of Alexander Planning Commission. Alderwoman Juanita Wilson (Ward-2) and I were recently appointed by Mayor Paul Mitchell to fill two of the five vacant seats on the newly re-established planning commission. I won’t go into the details as to how we got to this stage, but needless to say we need three more selfless city residents to help guide Alexander’s growth to the next level.

We have some catching up to do. For the past two plus years the city has been using the Saline County Planning Board Subdivision Rules and Regulations. Because Alexander didn’t have its own set of regulations, at least none that could be found, it was adopted as a temporary measure to allow the Meadow’s Edge Subdivision project to move forward. A city version, converting it from county to city, has never been proposed. The City’s zoning rules from the 1980s are outdated. The zoning map has never been updated since the annexation of Woodland Hills in 2006. And, of course, there is no current Land Use Map to guide new development in the now larger city.

The problem is, aside from myself and Wilson, no one has stepped-up to fill these vacancies. With only two of us we can’t have a meeting because a quorum of five is three.

State law also requires planning commissions to have one meeting per quarter, but with the amount of work that needs to be done immediately there may have to be a meeting a month for a while. Once we get past the backlog of non-accomplishments meetings should be able to be held every quarter, unless something comes up that can’t wait.

Legally, a planning commission is allowed to have a maximum of one-third of its members holding another elected or appointed position in the city. Since one-third of five is one no other members of the city council, or department heads, can hold a position on the planning commission. That’s why we need three residents to come forward and donate their talents and wisdom to help the City of Alexander move forward.

If you want to join the planning commission and make a difference in the City of Alexander send a brief resume with contact information to;

Mayor Paul Mitchell

City of Alexander

P. O. Box 610

Alexander, Ar 72002

Or, E-mail to

mayor@cityofalexander.com

If you know someone you feel would be helpful in planning the city’s future, speak to them and if they are willing have them submit their information to the address above.

Respectfully yours,

Michael Huck

City of Alexander Planning Commission Member

Former City of Alexander Alderman; Ward-3

City of Alexander sales tax referendum scheduled for November 14

On Tuesday November 14, City of Alexander voters will be asked to approve a one-cent hike in the city sales and use tax for the general fund. Adding one-cent will increase the city’s local tax from two-cents to three, equal to the City of Bryant. If approved, collection of the new tax will begin January 1, 2018.

During his presentation to council members at the council’s August 21 meeting, Mayor Paul Mitchell repeated many of the comments he made at the April meeting when the topic was first discussed. Mitchell said he wants to be able to provide the services residents have requested for several years; animal control, clean-up vacant lots and solving the city’s drainage problems among others. He also reminded council members about the loan on city hall, with interest alone totaling $300,000.

Then there’s the audit for 2014 and 2015, released earlier this year. According to the audit for 2014 $46,654 of, “restricted monies were paid from the Parks and Recreation Fund to the General Fund.” Also, the audit states the Police Department Fund did not receive all of its five-eighths-cent sales tax revenue in 2014 in the amount of $42,617. All of this occurred while Michell Hobbs was mayor. Changes are being made where possible so the general fund can repay the two accounts.

Mitchell also addressed the issue of acquiring grants for city projects. He explained that many grants require matching dollars, or property in lieu of funds, neither of which the city has. And, unless someone in Alexander is an expert at writing grants, hiring a grant writer costs.

“The money (to pay for that) has to come from somewhere,” he said.

The current two-cent sales tax was approved by voters in two special elections. The first referendum levied a one-cent tax to be given to the fire department. Voters then approved a second referendum which divided a one-cent sales tax among the fire department, police department, and parks and recreation. Of the second one-cent tax the fire department receives one-eighth-cent, the police department five-eighths and parks and recreation two-eighths. The one-cent sales tax being proposed now will go to the general fund allowing it to be used for any purpose in the city. Both previous referendums were held prior to the Woodland Hills annexation in 2006.

The final 2016 budget shows revenue to the general fund at $300,000. That includes property tax collections and the city’s share of the state sales tax, among others. In 2016 one-cent of sales tax in Alexander generated $432,225.

Mitchell repeated his aversion to increasing taxes. However, he said to make the improvements needed to attract both new businesses and residents, “That takes money.”

Mitchell estimates the cost of the election at around $14,000. With a one-cent sales tax generating approximately $36,000 per month he expects the new tax will pay for the election the first month.

Mitchell reminded council members this sales tax will not just be paid by Alexander residents. He said anyone from outside the city, or driving on the interstate, who makes purchases in Alexander will also be paying the three cents; the same as Alexander residents who shop in Bryant pay Bryant’s sales tax.

In order to increase the city sales tax council members had to approve an ordinance calling for the special election. They then passed a second ordinance establishing the one-cent sales tax, which will be collected beginning January 1, 2018 if approved by voters. Present at the meeting were aldermen Joe Pollard, Joy Gray, Juanita Wilson, Harold Timmerman, Dan Church, and Melissa Ratliff. All voted “Yes” to pass the ordinances and to suspend the three-reading requirement. Absent were Elizabeth Bland and Jeff Watson.

Next month council members have an even bigger question. If voters approve the sale tax increase Mitchell wants to reduce the city property tax from five-mils to three-mils. Every September the city council is required to set the millage rate for the next tax cycle. The maximum is five-mils.

“If you have a $750,000 home it would reduce your tax burden $300 a year,” Mitchell said in April. “I want to give back (if the tax increase passes).”

According to the final 2016 budget property tax to the general fund brought in $14,000 from Pulaski County and $76,300 from Saline County. In September council members will have to decide whether to wait and see if the tax passes then change the millage amount for the 2019 tax collection, or assume it will pass and take a chance on losing around $36,120 in 2018.

In other action at the August 21 meeting;

The council passed two resolutions appointing six residents of St. Joseph’s Glen subdivision as commissioners to the boards of the subdivision’s two improvement districts. Cammie Wood, Bryan Rupar and Christopher Prowse were appointed commissioners to Alexander Municipal Property Owner’s Multipurpose Improvement District No. 43. Jamelia Wallace, Hannah Self and Kendrick Seahorn were appointed commissioners to Alexander Municipal Property Owner’s Multipurpose Improvement District No. 86. District 43 is responsible for phases one through six. District 86 covers Phase-7.

By state law the City of Alexander approved the original resolutions forming the two districts prior to the construction of Phase-1 and also Phase-7. Since then all of the original commissioners have resigned and this action was needed to fill those vacancies. Prowse, Wallace and Self were present at the council meeting and were sworn-in by Mayor Mitchell.

With that bit of housekeeping out of the way the two districts will begin updating the subdivision’s sewage system. Currently St. Joseph’s Glen has a small treatment plant. The plan now is to connect the subdivision to the Little Rock sewer system replacing the treatment plant with a pumping station.

The next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, September 18. Meetings start at 6 PM and are held in the courtroom at the City of Alexander Municipal Complex. The public is invited to attend.

Past discussion issues on Alexander agenda under “New Business”

It appears City of Alexander Mayor Paul Mitchell is moving forward with a tax proposal he presented at the April 17 council meeting. Two of the items appearing under “New Business” on the August 21 agenda are “Special Election” and “Tax Initiative.”

In April Mitchell proposed increasing the city’s two-cent sales tax to three. The extra one-cent will go to the general fund. The other two-cents are dedicated to the fire, police and parks departments. Also at the April meeting Mitchell noted this would put Alexander on par with Bryant, which also has a three-cent city sales tax.

The increase will have to be approved by voters. In 2016 one-cent of sales tax in Alexander generated $432,225.

In exchange for the sales tax increase Mitchell wants to reduce the property tax from five-mils to three. He also wants to reduce the cost of a city business license to attract more sales tax generating businesses to the city.

Other items appearing under “New Business” include “SJG” (St. Joseph’s Glen), (Planning) “Commissioners Appointment” and “Comcast proposed franchise agreement.”

The next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, August 21. Meetings start at 6 PM and are held in the courtroom at Alexander City Hall on Highway 111/Alexander Road. The public is invited to attend.