Blytheville police officers and firefighters will receive better pay for longevity and the Police Department will move to a new location after voters approved a one-half percent citywide sales tax last week.
The tax will be collected for 10 years and is estimated to generate about $1.4 million a year, Mayor James Sanders said.
Voters decided on the sales tax and issuance of bonds to refurbish the old National Guard armory building into a justice complex and police station.
Complete but unofficial results are:
One-half percent sales tax
For 633
Against 400
Issuance of bonds
For 644
Against 382
"We are excited that our citizens understood our plea," Sanders said of Tuesday's special election. "They saw the needs we have."
Most of the tax revenue will go toward refurbishing the armory at 1700 S. Division St. and converting it into a headquarters for police and courts. The city took ownership of the building in 2016 when the National Guard closed it.
The cost to refurbish the old armory is about $2.7 million, the mayor said.
Currently, the Police Department is housed in a 90-year-old downtown building that was a former fire station and YMCA. The Arkansas Department of Labor deemed the structure unsafe after an inspection in April and ordered officers to evacuate while repairs were made.
They found electrical wiring issues that posed fire hazards, leaks in roofs and mold on the walls.
A jail that once held 12 inmates has been closed because of standards violations.
The state Labor Department gave the Police Department until October to move out of the building but may extend that deadline while work on the armory continues.
The city also will increase pay for its safety officers based on rank and time served.
A Blytheville patrol officer currently earns a starting salary of about $30,000, which is competitive with other police departments its size in Arkansas. But they receive minimal pay raises while rising up the ranks.
"They may receive $50 or $100 each time they move up," said Capt. Scott Adams, commander of the Blytheville Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division. "There's no incentive to keep them here. They come here and are certified and then, after a couple of years, move on for better pay."
The Mississippi County town of 15,000 residents has 35 police officers. The city intends to hire four more.
Blytheville also has 30 firefighters in its department.
Sanders said the additional pay will allow the city to retain its police officers and to help reduce crime in the Mississippi County town.
"We hope to create a great atmosphere," Sanders said. "The reduction of crime will help us bring people back and have an established workforce. It all works together."
State Desk on 05/14/2017