JONESBORO -- Jonesboro voters in a special election Tuesday night overwhelmingly repealed a property maintenance code that would have set regulations on homes and rental properties.
Complete but unofficial results are:
For the repeal 4,891
Against the repeal 2,521
The city enacted the code in December after Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin broke a 6-6 tie among aldermen when he voted in favor of the ordinance. A group calling itself the Repeal Jonesboro Property Code 105-2 gathered signatures to call for the special election shortly after its passage.
Mark Pillow, the leader of the group, said last week that the ordinance would divide neighbors because it was a "door-knocker for gentrification." He said those who could not afford to make repairs made necessary by the property code would be forced to move elsewhere.
Pillow could not be reached for comment Tuesday after the election.
Supporters of the measure said it would provide guidelines for homeowners and tenants to preserve their homes and keep them safe. According to the code, residents could have been fined up to $500 for some offenses if a district judge deemed violations had occurred.
Aldermen placed the ordinance on hold after opposition arose and had planned to enact it had it passed Tuesday evening.
Perrin has said he intends to eventually offer another version of the property maintenance code.
In a prepared statement by Gregory Hansen, an Arkansas State University professor of English and folklore who led a group favoring the ordinance, said he was disappointed by the vote.
"Our group, Citizens for a Better Jonesboro, was formed to truly make the city a better place to live, work, raise a family and take part in all the city has to offer," Hansen said in the statement. "We will use our time, talent and energy to build up our city and find ways to show we care about our community."
Hansen said he thought some voters may have been confused by the ballot's wording because voting "for" the repeal actually meant being "against" the ordinance.
"There was some confusion," he said. "But I am sure there was confusion on both sides, so it probably balanced it out."
State Desk on 05/13/2016