By Lorri Street, January 20, 2022
You can only squeeze so much money out of retirees on a fixed income. Many retirees are dependent on a fixed income from a pension, but monthly checks may not increase as the cost of necessities rise. Even moderate inflation can be troubling if the majority of one’s income is fixed. In this article published on CNBC.com and titled, “Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment isn’t keeping up with prices retirees pay” it says, “Because older Americans often live on a fixed budget, which typically includes Social Security benefits, having to absorb those higher costs can hit them harder.”
Not everyone understands that even though property taxes are frozen, millage rates are not and if the millage increases, property taxes will go up for those 65 and older and/or disabled. They are not protected.
If this millage increase passes, some people are going to be hit hard. Monthly HSVPOA assessments already went up and most folk’s grocery budgets are stretched to the limit with inflation significantly impacting wallets.
Additionally, it was predicted by some people that if the monthly assessments went up, there would be less patronage of HSV restaurants. In other words, it would result in a chain reaction. We have had four Village restaurants go out of business already this year. They just can’t make it.
While I know this wasn’t a direct result of the POA assessment increase, the possibility of the upcoming increase may have made people think twice about going out to eat. Is this trend going to continue and if the millage increase passes, will the trend be amplified? Vote NO FLSD Millage Increase!
Three Ways to Cast Your Vote
The three voting options for the proposed 5 mill increase are (1) regular Special Election Voting, (2) Absentee Voting, and (3) Early Voting.
***There will be no polling places inside the Village Gates.***
(1) Special Election Voting
Regular Special Election Voting is on February 8, 2022. There are three voting locations where FLSD Villagers can cast their votes on February 8. Polls are open from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m at all locations.
- FLSD Campus
- Community Baptist Church, Hwy. 7 N.
- USA Self-Storage, (Old Cranfords), in the East Gate Plaza
(2) Absentee Voting
Click here to download an application for a Saline County absentee ballot. Click here to download an application for a Garland County absentee ballot.
For more information you can call:
- Garland County taxpayers in FLSD contact County Clerk – 501-622-3610
- Saline County taxpayers in FLSD contact County Clerk – 501-303-5630
Click here to check your voter registration information – confirm your address, party association, ballot status, and polling place locations.
(3) Early Voting
Early voting is:
- Garland County Election Commission Office at 649 A Ouachita Avenue, Hot Springs, February 1-7, 2022, (closed Saturday & Sunday) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Community Baptist Church, Hwy. 7 N. February 1st-4th, and 7th, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Questions? Email NoFLSDmillageincrease@mail.com
✺ ✺ ✺ ✺ ✺
Thank you for reading. If you like, please comment below; we love to hear your opinion. Thank you for keeping the comments polite and on topic. Please use your real first and last name. If you are an HSV Property Owner, please join us in our private Facebook Group. Click here to join the group. If you would like to submit an article for publication, please contact us through this website. Be sure to bookmark this website.
Sheri Smith
01/20/2022 — 3:39 pm
How much will the tax increase be if the millage increase passes?
Lorri Street
01/21/2022 — 8:47 am
The higher the/your property valuation is the higher the real estate tax will increase. Example:
$200,000 home would = $200.00 increase annually
$500,000 home would = $500.00 increase annually.
…and so on.
Michael R Shannon
01/24/2022 — 5:53 pm
I’m so glad the Friends of Fountain Lake School District mailed me a brochure urging a vote to increase my taxes.
It solidified my decision to vote against the millage increase. I don’t want to support mission creep, duplication and the superintendent’s empire building. The second item on the list is building a new “job skills training/community center.” The state already does job skills training and a “community center” is simply empire building.
I’m sure many of the rest of the items on the list are in keeping with the “job skills” center.
When Fountain Lake decides to put a priority on education and limit tax increase requests to the necessities, I will reconsider. For now, I’m a ‘no.’
Jake Dettmering
02/04/2022 — 6:29 pm
The “Job Skills Training Center” you refer to is actually where they are going to have 14 career development classrooms. These types of classes are for the students who will be entering the workforce or some kind of trade school after high school. These classes will be very beneficial to the community by serving the students who may not be college bound, but will be better equipped with trade skills to enter the workforce immediately after high school. The Job Skill Training Center would be a new replacement for the outdated Agri building that was built about 50 years ago. Combine that with a new elementary school this millage is putting a “priority on education”.
Michael R Shannon
02/04/2022 — 6:54 pm
And the “community center” portion trains them on how to join the community?
Anna Libby
01/25/2022 — 9:43 am
Fountain Lake School supports every student for success and goes above and beyond for their students. The focus is to build quality relationships with all students in order to provide a level of support to assist them with achieving their goals academically, socially, and emotionally, as well as to prepare them for employment.
The millage will include:
Additional classroom space as campus reaches and surpasses capacity, in which they need
Increased capacity/flexibility in the dining room and kitchen spaces
Enhanced career training opportunities for students to begin career development programs
Improved safety and accessibility throughout the campus
Additional large performance space for athletics, band, choir, and community groups
Please vote YES for the millage. The students and staff need your help!!
Mrs. Katherine Miller
01/25/2022 — 10:43 pm
Most improved real estate values are 50% higher than they were in 2017. When revaluations are issued this summer, FLSD is sure to realize at least the increase it is seeking, if not more. It will affect counties’ tax-base populations as usual … (same system, with some builds, lots of buys, some increased values, some freezes, many staying frozen, some improvements/unfreezings …) business as usual. Just wait until this summer!