ORD NO 06-2005 ORDINANCE NO. 6 -2005
AN ORDINANCE CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION IN THE
CITY OF VAN BUREN, ARKANSAS ON THE QUESTIONS
OF ISSUING BONDS UNDER AMENDMENT NO. 62 TO THE
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS FOR THE
PURPOSE OF FINANCING THE COST OF CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENTS; LEVYING A ONE -HALF OF ONE
PERCENT (0.5 SALES AND USE TAX FOR THE
PURPOSE OF RETIRING SUCH BONDS; AND
PRESCRIBING OTHER MATTERS PERTAINING THERETO.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Van Buren,
Arkansas (the "City has determined that it would be in the best
interests of the City to (a) finance all or a portion of the costs
of streets, roads and bridges, including particularly, without
limitation, constructing and improving the Rena Road Project and
any paving, repair, curbing, gutter and drainage improvements,
equipment and land acquisition and street lighting, utility
improvements and traffic signals related thereto or in support
thereof (the "Street Improvements (b) finance all or a portion
of the costs of library facilities, including particularly, without
limitation, acquiring, constructing, equipping and furnishing
library facilities, and any land acquisition and parking, street,
drainage and utility improvements related thereto or in support
thereof (the "Library Improvements (c) finance all or a portion
of the costs of park and recreational facilities, including
particularly, without limitation, acquiring, constructing,
equipping and furnishing a water park, and any land acquisition and
parking, street, drainage and utility improvements related thereto
or in support thereof (the "Park Improvements and (d) finance all
or a portion of the costs of community center facilities, including
particularly, without limitation, acquiring, constructing,
equipping and furnishing a community center consisting of meeting,
fitness, entertainment and recreational facilities, and any land
acquisition and parking, street, drainage and utility improvements
related thereto or in support thereof (the "Community Center
Improvements" and, collectively with the Street Improvements, the
Library Improvements and the Park Improvements, the
"Improvements and
WHEREAS, the City Council proposes to finance all or a
portion of the costs of the Improvements by the issuance of capital
improvement bonds (the "Bonds under the authority of Amendment
No. 62 to the Constitution of the State of Arkansas "Amendment
62 and Title 14, Chapter 164, Subchapter 3 of the Arkansas Code
of 1987 Annotated (the "Authorizing Legislation allocated as
follows: $10,325,000 in maximum principal amount for the Street
Improvements; $1,700,000 in maximum principal amount for the
Library Improvements; $4,475,000 in maximum principal amount for
the Park Improvements; and $2,800,000 in maximum principal amount
for the Community Center Improvements; and
WHEREAS, the City can pay the principal of and interest
on the Bonds from the proceeds of a City -wide 0.5% sales and use
tax to be levied under the authority of the Authorizing
Legislation; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of this Ordinance is to submit to
the electors of the City the questions of issuing the Bonds for the
Improvements under Amendment 62 and the Authorizing Legislation at
a special election to be called for that purpose and to levy a new
sales and use tax at the rate of one -half of one percent (0.5 on
the receipts from the sales at retail within the City of all items
which are subject to taxation under the Arkansas Gross Receipts Act
of 1941, as amended (A.C.A. §26 -52 -101, et seq.), and the receipts
from storing, using, distributing or consuming within the City
tangible personal property under the Arkansas Compensating Tax Act
of 1949, as amended (A.C.A. §26 -53 -101, et seq.) (the "Sales and
Use Tax
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the
City of Van Buren, Arkansas:
Section 1. There be, and there is hereby called, a
special election to be held on July 12, 2005, at which election
there shall be submitted to the electors of the City the questions
of issuing the Bonds under Amendment 62 and the Authorizing
Legislation to pay all or a portion of the costs of accomplishing
the Improvements in the maximum principal amounts described above,
to be payable from collections of the Sales and Use Tax remaining
after the State of Arkansas deducts its administrative charges.
Section 2. In order to provide for the payment of the
principal of and interest on the Bonds and all obligations of the
City in connection therewith, there is hereby levied the Sales and
Use Tax. The levy of the Sales and Use Tax shall not become
effective until the special election called in Section 1 above has
been held and the issuance of the Bonds for one or more of the
purposes is approved by the voters. The Sales and Use Tax shall be
levied and collected on the gross receipts, gross proceeds or sales
price for each single transaction in the maximum amount allowed
from time to time by Arkansas law. "Single transaction" is defined
according to the nature of the goods purchased as follows:
A. When two or more devices in which, upon which or by
which any person or property is, or may be, transported or drawn,
including but not limited to on -road vehicles, whether required to
be licensed or not, off -road vehicles, farm vehicles, airplanes,
411 water vessels, motor vehicles or non motorized vehicles and mobile
homes, are sold to a person by a seller, each individual unit,
whether part of a "fleet" sale or not, shall be treated as a single
0 transaction for the purpose of the Sales and Use Tax.
B. The charges for utility services, which are subject
to the Sales and Use Tax, and which are furnished on a continuous
service basis, whether such services are paid daily, weekly,
monthly or annually, for the purposes of the Sales and Use Tax,
shall be considered to be a single transaction for the purposes of
the Sales and Use Tax.
C. For sales of building materials and supplies to
contractors, builders or other persons, a single transaction, for
the purposes of the Sales and Use Tax, shall be deemed to be any
single sale which is reflected on a single invoice, receipt or
statement, on which an aggregate sales (or use) tax figure has been
reported and remitted to the State of Arkansas.
D. When two or more items of major household
appliances, commercial appliances, major equipment and machinery
are sold, each individual unit shall be treated as a single
transaction for the purpose of the Sales and Use Tax.
E. For groceries, drug items, dry goods and other
tangible personal property and /or services not otherwise expressly
covered in this Section, a single transaction shall be deemed to be
any single sale which is reflected on a single invoice, receipt or
statement on which an aggregate sales tax figure has been reported
and remitted to the State of Arkansas.
Section 3. In the event the General Assembly shall
define "single transaction," the General Assembly's definition
shall replace the one in Section 2 hereof.
Section 4. The questions of issuing the Bonds shall be
placed on the ballot for the election in substantially the
following form:
The bonds described below that are approved may be combined into a
single issue or may be issued in series at one time or from time to
time. If the bonds for one or more of the purposes are approved,
there will be levied a new 0.5% sales and use tax, the net
collections of which remaining after the State of Arkansas deducts
its administrative charge will be used solely to retire the bonds
and obligations with respect thereto in accordance with Amendment
No. 62 to the Arkansas Constitution. The tax will expire after the
bonds have been paid or provision is made therefor in accordance
with Arkansas statutes. The rate of taxation will be 0.5% even if
bonds for more than one purpose are approved.
STREET IMPROVEMENT BONDS AND 0.5% SALES AND USE TAX
Vote FOR or AGAINST an issue of bonds of the City of Van
Buren in the maximum principal amount of $10,325,000 for
the purpose of financing all or a portion of the costs of
streets, roads and bridges, including particularly,
without limitation, constructing and improving the Rena
Road Project and any paving, repair, curbing, gutter and
drainage improvements, equipment and land acquisition and
street lighting, utility improvements and traffic signals
related thereto or in support thereof, and, in order to
pay the bonds, the levy and pledge of a 0.5% local sales
and use tax within the City.
FOR the Street Improvement Bonds and 0.5%
Sales and Use Tax
AGAINST the Street Improvement Bonds and 0.5%
Sales and Use Tax
LIBRARY IMPROVEMENT BONDS AND 0.5% SALES AND USE TAX
Vote FOR or AGAINST an issue of bonds of the City of Van
Buren in the maximum principal amount of $1,700,000 for
the purpose of financing all or a portion of the costs of
library facilities, including particularly, without
limitation, acquiring, constructing, equipping and
furnishing library facilities, and any land acquisition
and parking, street, drainage and utility improvements
related thereto or in support thereof, and, in order to
pay the bonds, the levy and pledge of a 0.5% local sales
and use tax within the City
FOR the Library Improvement Bonds and 0.5%
Sales and Use Tax
AGAINST the Library Improvement Bonds and
0.5% Sales and Use Tax
4
PARK AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES BONDS
AND 0.5% SALES AND USE TAX
Vote FOR or AGAINST an issue of bonds of the City of Van
Buren in the maximum principal amount of $4,475,000 for
the purpose of financing all or a portion of the costs of
park and recreational facilities, including particularly,
without limitation, acquiring, constructing, equipping
and furnishing a water park, and any land acquisition and
parking, street, drainage and utility improvements
related thereto or in support thereof, and, in order to
pay the bonds, the levy and pledge of a 0.5% local sales
and use tax within the City.
FOR the Park and Recreational Facilities Bonds
and 0.5% Sales and Use Tax
AGAINST the Park and Recreational Facilities
Bonds and 0.5% Sales and Use Tax
COMMUNITY CENTER IMPROVEMENT BONDS AND
0.5% SALES AND USE TAX
Vote FOR or AGAINST an issue of bonds of the City of Van
Buren in the maximum principal amount of $2,800,000 for
the purpose of financing all or a portion of the costs of
community center facilities, including particularly,
without limitation, acquiring, constructing, equipping
and furnishing a community center consisting of meeting,
fitness, entertainment and recreational facilities, and
any land acquisition and parking, street, drainage and
utility improvements related thereto or in support
thereof, and, in order to pay the bonds, the levy and
pledge of a 0.5% sales and use tax within the City.
FOR the Community Center Improvement Bonds and 0.5%
Sales and Use Tax
AGAINST the Community Center Improvement Bonds and
0.5% Sales and Use Tax
Section 5. The election shall be held and conducted and
the vote canvassed and the results declared under the law and in
the manner now provided for municipal elections unless otherwise
provided in the Authorizing Legislation and only qualified voters
of the City shall have the right to vote at the election.
Section 6. The results of the election shall be
proclaimed by the Mayor, and his Proclamation shall be published
one time in a newspaper having a general circulation in the City,
which Proclamation shall advise that the results as proclaimed
shall be conclusive unless attacked in the courts within thirty
days after the date of publication.
Section 7. A copy of this Ordinance shall be given to
the Crawford County Board of Election Commissioners so that the
necessary election officials and supplies may be provided. A
certified copy of this Ordinance shall also be provided to the
Commissioner of Revenues of the State of Arkansas as soon as
practical.
Section 8. The Mayor and City Clerk, for and on behalf
of the City, be and they are hereby authorized and directed to do
any and all things necessary to call and hold the special election
as herein provided and, if the issuance of the Bonds is approved by
the electors, to cause the Sales and Use Tax to be collected in
accordance with the Authorizing Legislation, and to perform all
acts of whatever nature necessary to carry out the authority
conferred by this Ordinance.
Section 9. That if any Bonds are approved, the City
intends to negotiate with Morgan Keegan Company, Inc., which has
assisted the City in preparation of the Bond size and repayment
structure, for the sale of the Bonds that may be issued from time
to time.
Section 10. The provisions of this Ordinance are hereby
declared to be separable and if any provision shall for any reason
be held illegal or invalid, such holding shall not affect the
validity of the remainder of this Ordinance.
Section 11. All ordinances and parts thereof in conflict
herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
PASSED: April 18, 2005.
APPROVED:
ATTEST:
C
M a
'AP, �1
City Clerk
(-SEAL