Here we go again! The 13-year long class-action taxpayer lawsuit against the Fountain Lake School District’s (FLSD) millage increase in 1994, was settled in 2007 to the taxpayers’ advantage. That lawsuit created a group of informed HSV taxpayers whose focus has always been on improving academics at FLSD, not unessential wants.
A major problem with this current vote is that FLSD is asking taxpayers for an additional 5 debt mills, in addition to the 7.5 debt mills it already receives. If passed, FLSD’s debt service millage will become 12.5 mills.
FLSD’s ballot is also asking taxpayers to agree that “the surplus revenues produced each year by the debt service millage may be used by the District for other school purposes.” A sizable part of the revenue from these extra 5 mills will be surplus and can create a giant honeypot – with few strings attached as to how these surplus funds are spent.
Here are newer figures from an official Arkansas Department of Education source titled, “State Aid Final for 2021-2022” (page 81). The total assessed value of FLSD’s tax base is currently $410,800,000. Each (1) FLSD mill raises roughly $395,000 annually. Historically, FLSD collects about 96% of taxes due.
This little ol’ 5 debt mill increase will bring in about $1,971,840 more every year for 30 years. The school board and Superintendent Murphy can then spend this surplus on any school projects they dream up. This does not even take into consideration the increase in property values that some Saline and Garland residents will be getting from current county reappraisals. FLSD will receive about 78% of this windfall, too. Vote NO new taxes!
Patty MacDonald
28 year resident of HSV
Registration
Make sure you are registered – The voter registration deadline is January 8, 2022.
- You can register to vote at the DMV office just north of Hot Springs Village West Gate on Highway 7
- Or at your county courthouse (Saline or Garland)
Click here to download your voter registration application.
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 February 1-7, 2022, (closed Saturday & Sunday) at the Garland County Election Commission Office at 649 A Ouachita Avenue, Hot Springs, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
* * *
State Aid Final 2021-2022 Figures for Fountain Lake School District
State-Aid-Final-2021-2022-Fountain-Lake-School-District* * *
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 would like to submit an article for publication, please contact us through this website. Be sure to bookmark this website.
Larry Lewis
12/28/2021 — 1:58 pm
I knew once we raised POA Assessments, others would come asking for more. This a rather large increase based on this article. Along with all the other increases that have taken place, I can’t keep stretching the same dollar any further. Sorry.
Raymond Narug
12/28/2021 — 8:49 pm
Already called and requested our Absentee Ballot. Its a NO from us, sounds rather greedy they need more when they happen to have quite an elaborate campus as it is.
Lorri Street
12/29/2021 — 10:23 am
Hello Larry & Raymond…thank you for your vote NO support! Patty MacDonald (the author of the above article) and I are running this Vote NO to FLSD millage increase out of our homes and pockets. The picture you see above this article is what the billboard will look like on Highway 7, between AutoZone and Walmart. Should be up no later than the first of next week. The cost of the banner for the billboard (billboard has been donated) is $600.00 that Patty and I have paid upfront. Thus far we have received donations to defer our personal cost totaling $100.00. Please consider making a contribution…the more we can get the word out the better! Lot’s of Villager’s just don’t know or understand the ramifications to their real estate tax bill should this millage vote pass.
Donations can be mailed to:
Lorri Street
62 Arjona Way
HSV. Patty and I thank you greatly! Any
amount of contribution will be
much appreciated!
Jill Davis
01/03/2022 — 9:17 pm
Wow, you can pay $600 for a billboard against supporting kids but you can’t pay a little extra on taxes to support your local school. Makes perfect sense.😂😂
It’s been 30 years since we’ve had an increase. I hardly call that greedy to ask for this increase. Our mills are nowhere close to the schools around us. This is really sad to me. I hope HSV residents will search their souls for the right thing to do here.
Lorri Street
01/04/2022 — 9:22 am
Hello Jill…FLSD has already spent tens of thousands of $$ to promote their side of the proposed millage increase. Our grassroots awareness campaign’s $600.00 Billboard cost is just a drop in the bucket in comparison. We need to get the information out…just as Dr. Murphy’s done with the double-sided, glossy, full colored mailer he sent out along with his 6 articles to the HSV Voice newspaper. It’s always good to have conversations that provide the pro’s and con’s in any controversial topic.
Jill Davis
01/04/2022 — 10:51 am
That was a group called Friends of Fountain Lake School District that spent money on those things. Not the school district itself. My point is that spending money to campaign against our wonderful school instead of spending that money to support a school that needs room for growth for its children and staff seems pointless to me. We hired two new mental health professionals in December to meet our huge demand of students needing mental health services through a never ending pandemic plus the normal circumstances that cause stress and mental health issues for our students. We don’t even have room for our new mental health professionals to have office space to provide the confidentiality they need to best serve our students. I guess as a mental health professional myself trying to meet the needs of my students, I feel slighted for them when I read all of these negative comments and campaigns against our school and our students. How long are we really expected to function at 34 mills? It’s been nearly 30 years. Most schools are sitting well above 40 mills. You have to keep up with rising prices just like any business would. I just want what is best for my students. 25% live below the poverty level and school is their safe place. Why not provide more for them? Why not pass this millage to help our kids? Life should be about helping others and not benefiting self. That’s my goal in life. The average person isn’t going to see that big of an increase. Do you value education? Do you value having people work in your businesses around you that have had the best education? Those that have had the best resources provided to them through their school? Better schools mean better communities and there is no way around that fact. Yes, we have a nice campus and that’s a great thing. However, we need room for growth. We need to be able to give teachers raises every now and then so they don’t continue to leave us for much higher paying districts. Keeping teachers is good for kids. I guess I will never understand the fight against us. I am an alumni of this school and now invest my time teaching our kids and helping them and their families. Whether you have ten kids in the village or 100, you should want to support the school for those kids. They are the future of this community.
Kirk Denger
12/29/2021 — 11:13 am
More undisclosed facts find their way to the light. 5 mills for 30 years?, in addition to an undisclosed 7.5 mills already being paid?
Fool me the first time, it is the marketeer’s fault. I will not be fooled again by misinformation and disinformation.
Mrs. Katherine Miller
12/30/2021 — 7:47 am
A 13% increase in property appraisal valuations would equal adding 5 mils.
Lorri Street
12/30/2021 — 8:26 am
You’re correct Katherine…so even without the proposed millage increase FLSD will receive more tax dollars from the Villagers because of our increased home valuations. The 5 mill increase would be icing on the cake for the District. Vote NO new taxes!
David Emory Plaxico
12/30/2021 — 9:32 am
How did you arrive at that 13% figure?
David Emory Plaxico
12/30/2021 — 12:51 pm
Lorri, Katherine is not correct. A substantial number of homes in HSV have their assessed value frozen, from being over 65 or disabled. As you say, know the facts!
Patty MacDonald
01/03/2022 — 5:09 pm
Hello David, Amendment 74 of the AR Constitution is the law that freezes your tax bill on your principal residence, if you are over 65 or handicapped and filled out the paper work at your county courthouse. However, the exception is that you and everyone else will pay more IF THE MILLAGE RATE IS INCREASED. So Vote NO! on Feb. 8 or get ready to fork over more taxes. Patty MacDonald
Mrs. Katherine Miller
12/30/2021 — 3:01 pm
Current appraisal + 5 mil increase:
0.0384 + 0.005 = 0.0434
$100,000 x 0.20 x 0.0434 = $868
13% appraisal increase at current mill rate:
$100,000 x 1.13 = $113,000
$113,000 x 0.20 x 0.0384 = $867.84
David Emory Plaxico
12/30/2021 — 4:56 pm
My point is there will not be any appraisal increases to a substantial number of properties in HSV. Your math is correct if appraisal increases are not frozen.
Mrs. Katherine Miller
01/02/2022 — 12:47 am
13% = 0.005/0.0384
FLSD would benefit from roughly the same taxpayers it currently benefits from.
Properties have been selling for 20% to 100% more than they were prior to our previous revaluation. A 13% increase on our tax appraisal values would be low, but sufficient to generate the income FLSD seeks.
John Paro
01/23/2022 — 9:03 am
In Saline county a 5 mil increase will actually bring the rate up to 0.0398 NOT the 0.0434 as you say, and when you add in roads, library and general you get .0495 as the total. I just calculated what it will cost me a year and came up with an additional $124.00 or put another way, $2.38 a week and even on a fixed income like mine I’m not going to quibble about that small amount to help fund the schools. If you want to know what it will cost you, look at your last tax bill and figure it out and don’t pay attention to all the hair on fire rhetoric that this issue seems to bring out. If anyone can think anything that is more worthwhile then helping to provide a quality education to our children please name it because I certainly can’t.
Lorri Street
12/31/2021 — 8:42 am
Hello David…reappraisal values are not frozen…only the real estate taxes are if you filed for the 65+/or disabled tax freeze. Example: When your home is reappraised and the valuation increases you will not pay any higher real estate taxes (if you filed the freeze paperwork) then you did when you had your the real estate taxes frozen. However; when your home sells the new buyer will pay real estate taxes based on the increased reappraised valuation. New owners can then freeze further real estate tax increases by filling out the paperwork.
marti mather
01/02/2022 — 9:16 am
Lorrie, I thought (may be incorrectly) that the mils are unaffected by the 65 age freeze on real estate values. The real estate tax can be frozen yet the mils cannot be ‘frozen’ . Am I correct?
A thank you goes out to you as well as to Alice for being our watch dogs on this issue.
Patty MacDonald
01/02/2022 — 5:43 pm
Marti, If you are 65 or handicapped and have filed the proper papers at your county courthouse, the tax bill on your principal residence will not be increased–UNLESS VOTERS RAISE THE MILLAGE RATE. When that happens, EVERYBODY pays more. (Amendment 79 to the AR Constitution)
Lorri Street
01/03/2022 — 7:56 am
Hello Marti…you are correct. School millage increases override the ‘frozen’ real estate taxes. So, even if a property owner has filed for the Amendment 79 ‘freeze’, should the FLSD Proposed Millage Increase pass property owners within the FLSD boundaries WILL have their real estate taxes increased.
Bud Forbes
02/01/2022 — 11:12 am
A good school district with good facilities and good teachers will always compliment and enhance the value of the homes within the district. It’s one more selling point to support a higher home real estate values and sale prices. Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.
Rick Brown
02/03/2022 — 8:23 am
We just had a 24% increase in our monthly improved property fee here in the Village with more increases coming in the next two years and if the approximate 13% increases this Mill Rate increase (as stated in earlier comments) in real estate taxes goes thru we are taking more and more money out of ability to enjoy the lifestyle we moved to HSV for. Many costs are going up for the homeowners as well and we can’t vote ourselves more money to cover these expenses. We have numerous new homes in HSV with probably 95%+ of people building here not having children that will be attending FLSD and not adding additional students to affect their costs. The increase in revenue from the base taxes from these new homes will give FLSD plenty of additional funds with which they can fund some of their special projects. We have been paying school taxes for 40 plus years and it’s time to give us a well-deserved break from additional taxes on our fixed income.
JOHN SOWERS
02/07/2022 — 11:56 am
WHY VOTE YES FOR FLSD MILLAGE INCREASE
As background, the glue that held my small hometown of Seminole, OK together through the past 50 years of hard times was education support. It now has a new, modern high school and excellent Seminole State College. It produced national debate winners, many state champion sports teams, Rhode scholars, a Governor, US Senator, President of OU, World War II Code Talker, Sonic founder, Integrated Marketing Communication founder, top professionals and leaders in all occupations, and many veterans.
All K-12 students in HSV and surrounding areas need and deserve great schools. Please read the recent series of articles in the Village Voice provided by those who work and teach daily at FLS. They discuss positive student/community health and fitness services, but also point out many serious facility shortfalls affecting such things as technical training and disruptive lunch periods and having to hold some classes in open foyers.
FLSD hasn’t had a millage increase for 30 years. This increase will have near and long-term positive impacts on everyone in HSV, regarding our economy, security, safety, and property values.
HSV residents are too wise to let a very few naysayers get away with calling this millage increase a boondoggle and scam. PLEASE VOTE, AND VOTE YES FOR THE FLSD MILLAGE INCREASE ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 8, 2022. John Sowers
JOHN SOWERS
02/07/2022 — 12:08 pm
From Greg Frank,
HSV Residents and Neighbors,
You may vote on Tuesday, February 8, 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM.
You may vote at one of the following locations:
• USA Self-Storage (Old Cranford’s building) in the mall outside the East Gate
• Community Baptist Church, 3518 Hwy 7 (near WalMart)
• Fountain Lake School (Safe Room A)
Also, you may vote early Thursday, Friday, or Monday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at:
• Community Baptist Church, 3518 Hwy 7 (near WalMart)
• Garland County Election Commission (Garland County Courthouse, 501 Ouachita Avenue)
This election is to approve an increase of 5 mils to provide:
• new K-3 elementary school (desperately needed to meet increasing enrollment and and state standards)
• Increased capacity/flexibility in dining room and kitchen spaces so that students do not have to start lunch as early as 10:00 AM in order to accommodate all students and decrease malnutrition.
• Enhanced career training opportunities for students to begin career development programs (much needed for students who do not play to attend college so they can meet workforce needs in HSV and surrounding areas)
• Improved safety and accessibility throughout the campus (avoid congestion especially during school start and finish times
• Improved safety and accessibility throughout the campus
• Additional large performance space for athletics, band, choir, and community groups
• On-Site baseball and softball fields to expand programs
Obviously, the first three items are urgent and critical needs … without them quality of education is diminished.
The last 2 items may appear optional, but significantly add to the students’ overall development. It has been proven that student development via music and sports add so much to their self esteem and interpersonal skills.
The 5 mil increase will increase your real estate tax by $100/year per $100,000 currently assessed value of your home. (Note that most of you have applied for the homestead exemption which has frozen the assessed value of your home.) For instance, it would increase $300/year ($25/month) for a $300,000 home. That is a small investment that yields great benefits to the 1300+ students at Fountain Lake School. Given the new bypass to Hot Springs, it is expected that enrollment will grow significantly (many new families in HSV) over the next few years, so it is important to stay ahead of the curve. It is true that currently only a small fraction of the students live in HSV. However, if you had children, many others without children in school in your school district were supporting the education of the all children in your district. Furthermore, a top-quality school enhances our property values and attracts new residents with families.
I was on the school board 2011-2017 and president of the board the last 2 years. Furthermore, I played a lead role in hiring Dr. Murphy as our new Superintendent toward the end of my tenure. Dr. Murphy is not only a superb educator and manager of the school district, but he also has demonstrated great vision for the district and moved it well beyond where it had been previous to his arrival. He would welcome your call or visit if you have any questions. I would also welcome your call or e-mail if you have any questions as I can help you get answers. Also, check out the website https://www.millage.flcobras.com.
You have all seen the “Vote NO” propaganda in Letters to the Editor. These are the same naysayers who organize against all issues that have both short and long-term benefits to HSV. They sued the school district several years ago and rallied against support of a millage election a few years ago. Let’s show our support for the community and the students at Fountain Lake School and vote YES on February 8.
Regards
Greg Frank
17 Vista Lane