A case for approving new taxes for the Benton County Jail expansion

10/18/22 • 54 min

Benton County proposes an expansion of its jail to deal with crowding. Benton County Judge Barry Moehring, Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway and Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Smith are advocating for voters to approve a temporary sales tax for construction and a permanent sales tax for operation.

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An Argument Against Washington County Jail Expansion

Voters in Benton and Washington counties will be asked on Nov. 8 to support new taxes to pay for jail expansions.

This episode of the Speaking of Arkansas podcast features Sarah Moore, executive director of the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition, and Mac Mayfield, a board member of the coalition and a leader of a new group called Neighbors Against New Taxation. They oppose jail expansions in both counties, advocating instead for judicial system reforms they say can hold people accountable while also addressing the root causes of their involvement in the judicial system.

To listen to an argument for the Washington County jail expansion, visit: nwaonline.com/105forjail/

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Civic love in Eureka Springs

Just how much do you love where you live? To what extent does that love extend to fellow residents who profess to love the same place you do? Does it affect the way you interact with people who hold different perspectives than you? Questions like that have inspired Main Street Eureka Springs to devote the month of August to what it's calling "civic love," with a series of events examining what love of where one lives looks like and whether people can take steps to grow the love and pride they feel for the place they call home. On this episode of Speaking of Arkansas, Jacqueline Wolven, who has served as executive director of Main Street Eureka Springs for 15 years, joins host Greg Harton of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Wolven discusses a series of events scheduled in February to explore the concept of civic love, which she suggests is needed in communities across Arkansas. ••• In addition to this site, Speaking of Arkansas is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe so you'll know when each episode is released. Don't miss the latest news in Northwest Arkansas, sign up for our free newsletters at: nwaonline.com/email/ Support your local news by subscribing at: nwaonline.com/subscribe