Millage Campaign Raises More Than $32,000

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BENTONVILLE — A campaign advocating for the Bentonville School District millage increase has raised more than $32,000 in contributions.

Filings with the Arkansas Ethics Commission show 31 individuals or organizations have donated to the Kids Come First Campaign since March. Contributors include Bentonville businessman Jim Walton, School Board member Travis Riggs, Mayor Bob McCaslin and several construction companies.

At A Glance

Early Voting

The last day for early voting for the Bentonville School District millage increase will be Monday at the Benton County Clerk’s Office, 215. E. Central Ave. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Source: Staff Report

Election day is Tuesday. A 6.7-mill tax increase would provide an estimated $128 million to the School District. The increase would pay for a $94 million second high school and $23 million in athletic facilities. The 2,000-student high school would be built in Centerton.

Also included would be renovations to Bentonville High School on J Street, operating costs and upgrades to technology and heating and cooling systems in the district.

The highest donations — $5,000 each — came from Walton, Crossland Construction and Flintco Construction.

Web Watch

Campaign Material

Learn the facts about campaigns advocating for and against the Bentonville School District millage increase at nwaonline.com/millagemailers.

Troy Musson, regional director of Flintco Construction, responded to a question about the donation in an email.

“Flintco has historically supported concerns focused on improving the quality of life in the community where our employees work and their families reside, particularly those benefiting charitable and educational initiatives,” Musson said. “We have and will continue to support those initiatives through the Northwest Arkansas region.”

Walton also gave $5,000 to a campaign supporting a ninth-grade center when that option was supported by the Bentonville School Board last year.

Other companies that donated to Kids Come First Campaign include Nabholz Construction, Milestone Construction, Hight-Jackson Associates and DLR Group. All of those companies are either under contract by the Bentonville School District or have been in the past, including Crossland and Flintco.

“I’m very supportive of the whole initiative,” said McCaslin, who gave $100. “We continue to grow as an area and a city because of three things — opportunities, education and quality of life.”

If the millage fails it will make it harder for businesses to recruit employees, McCaslin said.

“It (the millage) is not only good for Bentonville, it is good for Benton County and for the region,” he said. “I don’t like high taxes, but just because my kids are out of school doesn’t mean that my responsibility to invest in the future of our youth is over.”

Riggs gave $2,000 to the campaign.

“I gave money to the campaign because it is what the board decided to do, and I think it is a worthy cause. There is nothing wrong with giving money to the campaign,” he said, adding he wished all the board members had donated.

Elisa Leak, treasurer of the Kids Come First Campaign, said she is happy with the contributions.

“We have had contributions made from a lot of retirees who feel very strongly about this, from moms and dads and from companies as well,” Leak said. “I have been pleased that we have had such a wide range of individuals contribute.”

Documents filed with the commission show money has been spent on postcards, paper copies, signs, food and paper products, website design, social media design, video editing, webmaster services, campaign language research, graphic design, T-shirts, inflatables, games, a disc jockey, a face painter and balloons.

On the other side, Steve Carter filed a report in June that shows more than $8,000 spent on printing, shipping and postage for postcards. Carter sent a postcard opposing the millage earlier this month. Employees at Carter’s workplace have stated he is in Ukraine and unavailable for comment.

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