BENTON - Saline County's two largest cities are seeking voter approval to annex several pieces of property as they look to expand their borders and grow their tax bases.
Bryant would nearly double in land size if it incorporates each of the properties it seeks, including a patch of mostly residential property that Benton voters recently rejected annexing.
Benton is seeking to cash in on commercial properties just outside its boundaries.
The questions will appear on the ballots Nov. 4.
The properties Bryant voters will consider taking in are around Springhill Road, Midland Road, North Lake Road and Wilkerson Road, where the new Saline County Regional airport is located.
Voters in a special election last week overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to annex the North Lake Road area into Benton's limits.
Bryant Mayor Larry Mitchell said he thinks Bryant's chances are better at winning approval because more people will turn out for the general election.
"Those people had an emotional interest in how the vote went more so in a special election than in the general election," he said.
Bryant planners say they want to be able to better control the rapid growth on the city's borders, something it has failed to do over the years as it grew from under 10,000 people in 2000 to around 15,000.
Mitchell said if voters reject annexation, however, developers will likely continue joining the city one development at a time, as they have over the years.
"We just thought it would be good to be more controlled," Mitchell said.
Public meetings on Bryant's annexation proposals drew large crowds of Saline County residents who said they live there for a reason and don't want to be subject to city code enforcement and property taxes.
Others, however, said they already considered Bryant home and would be glad to have city services such as animal control.
Benton is seeking to annex three commercial properties along Arkansas 5, hoping to capitalize on tax revenue from businesses in those areas.
The properties are near Longhills Road, Mulberry Salem Road and Salem Road.
Marsha Guffey, the chief Benton planner, said the annexation shouldn't affect many, if any, residential properties in those areas.
Arkansas, Pages 23 on 10/19/2008