BENTON - As they plan to redraw borders and potentially boost tax revenue, two fast-growing Saline County cities are preparing to fight each other over 456 acres that figure into larger expansion plans.
Collectively, Bryant and Benton are looking to incorporate roughly 14,800 acres, and both have their sights set on some residential property off Springhill Road in a northeast section of the county. If neither is willing to budge, it could lead to three elections, with residents in the disputed land having the final say on which city they'll call home.
Similar clashes have cropped up across the state as bedroom communities become part of growing cities. And, often, the would-be city dwellers prefer to be left alone to enjoy lower taxesand fewer rules.
"I enjoy the rural life," Saline County resident Tom Eley told the Bryant planning commission during a public hearing last week A City Hall crowd dominated by annexation opponents applauded and whistled as he argued againstcity life. Outside city limits, he said, he can let his dogs roam loose and he can build a fire in his yard.
But the cities stand to benefit from batches of state and federal money that is tied to population. The cities particularly stand to gain from state sales tax revenue distributed to municipal governments every year.
With the 2010 census approaching, the rush to annex is on, said Don Zimmerman, executive director of the Arkansas Municipal League.
"This is the ideal time to do it," he said.
In February voters in the 3,200-resident Gravel Ridge area of Pulaski County voted to join Sherwood after several months of courting by both Jacksonville and Sherwood.
In Northwest Arkansas, two cities near Fayetteville vied for a golf course subdivision, ultimately leading to a New Year's Day vote. Farmington, the larger city with about 5,000 people, triumphed over Prairie Grove, home to an estimated 3,900 people.
In Saline County, Benton has about 28,000 residents. Bryant issmaller at about 14,500, but it has grown faster this decade. Neither city knows exactly how much their annexation plans would boost their populations or tax rolls.
Benton officials argue that their planned 4,400-acre annexation would even out the most jagged boundaries, easing confusion about which emergency responders are responsible for a particular call for service.
And Bryant, which will nearly double with its proposed 10,400-acre expansion, argues it needs to control the growth in the area and systematically extend sewer instead of "zigzagging" all over the area, said LaVenia Jones, Bryant's planning coordinator. The city also has told residents its police and fire protection is better than what they have now.
Both cities say they have made plans to put utilities in the area.
Benton argues the land was promised to the city in a planning agreement signed three years ago by officials from both cities. And Benton Mayor Rick Holland points to his city's plans to build a water tower in the area to improve fire-fighting capabilities.
When Holland made that pitch to Bryant city officials at last week's public hearing, they sat silent, quickly moving on to the next speaker. Neither the Planning Commission or other city officials in the audience acknowledged Holland.
"We don't plan to change our plans," Bryant Mayor Larry Mitchell said in an interview.
He said one reason he doesn't plan to back off the property off Springhill Road is because he's heard from residents of that area that they'd rather be in his city. He also said Bryant is better preparedto serve those residents because it's already added some sewer lines in that direction.
For the residents, taxes are a mixed bag. Bryant's property tax is lower than Benton's. But Benton has a lower sales tax at 1.5 percent versus Bryant's 3 percent. Annexation would not affect school district boundaries.
Benton has scheduled a special election Aug. 12 to incorporate roughly 1,676 acres, most of which lie north of Interstate 30. The city also plans to annex another 2,720-acre "island" that is surrounded by Benton, Bryant and Bauxite. That annexation does not require an election.
The Bryant City Council hasn't called for an election on its annexation proposals, but the City Council is expected to take up the issue later this month. It plans to annex property in three different locations around the city. One is in the Springhill Road area, which includes the land Benton is also eying, another is near Wilkerson Road, and the third is off Midland Road.
Arkansas, Pages 7, 11 on 06/16/2008