White County 1 Percent Sales Tax Increase Defeated

Reliable reports are circulating that voters rejected the White County 1 percent sales tax increase proposal at the polls today. The election results we've seen indicate 5725 voters cast ballots, and 56.7 percent of those votes were against the tax increase proposal.

With 3248 voting against the tax and 2477 voting for it, the Moving White County Forward Committee spent at least $10 per vote cast for the tax to help pass the measure (assuming they paid for the radio commercials they ran on Crain Media stations claiming they were paid for by the committee).

As a follow up to our previous post on the Arkansas Ethics Commission filings for the Moving White County Forward Committee, they did eventually file a financial report for July as required by Arkansas state law. According to the Ethics Commission Web site, it was filed September 8 (it was due August 15), which still makes them eligible for a hefty fine for not following the law. Further, they amended their pre-election report on September 8 correcting several discrepancies with their previous filing. Neither report lists paying for any radio ads on Crain Media stations, and the amended pre-election report still shows that Crain Media contributed $2,000 to the organization, a contribution which Crain Media reportedly denied making on the air around 8 A.M. the morning of September 12.

Both Moving White County Forward Committee and the Citizens for Responsible Taxation (and anyone else required to file papers with the Ethics Commission on their efforts to promote or campaign against the tax) will also be required to file post-election financial reports.