Tontitown to Vote on Annexation

Tontitown voters will go to the polls Dec. 11 to decide whether their city should annex 88 acres on the city’s northern border, but the issue might not be settled until January.

That’s because the area is part of a larger stretch of land Elm Springs voters agreed to annex in the Nov. 6 election. If Tontitown voters agree to the annexation, residents of the contested area would vote Jan. 8 on which city to join.

The area consists almost entirely of the Churchill Downs subdivision off Brush Creek Road. It includes 23 address points, 21 full parcels of property and 12 partial parcels, according to Jeff Hawkins, director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.

If added to Tontitown, the land would even out that city’s northern border, eliminating a small notch in the border.

“That, as much as anything, is why we’re going after it,” said Tommy Granata, Tontitown mayor.

The value of the homes in the area is another obvious attraction. One home for sale in the Churchill Downs neighborhood, according to real estate websites, has 6,300 square feet and has been listed at $900,000.

Granata said the city would gain about $1,700 in property tax revenue if it acquires the subdivision.

Jennifer Price, Washington County election coordinator, said she couldn’t provide an exact cost for the Tontitown election, but that one of this type for a city of Tontitown’s size usually costs between $4,000 and $6,000.

Elm Springs voters decided last month to annex an area to its west that straddles the line between Benton and Washington counties. That area, including the Churchill Downs subdivision, has about 224 households, according to Elm Springs Mayor Ben Wall.

Tontitown officials filed the annexation proposal too late to qualify for the general election ballot, which is why the city is holding a special election, Granata said.

As of the 2010 Census, Tontitown had a population of 2,460. Elm Springs had 1,535.

Early voting begins Tuesday and will continue through Dec. 10 during regular business hours at the Washington County clerk’s office, 280 N. College Ave., Suite 300, Fayetteville.

Two precincts will be open on Dec. 11: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at 136 E. Henri De Tonti Blvd., Tontitown, and Elm Springs City Hall, 289 Jayroe Ave., Elm Springs.

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