Avoca Voters Narrowly OK Increase for Fire Dues

Centerton, Bella Vista Ballot Measures Approved

The Avoca Fire Dues ballot measure has been approved with a complete but unofficial 4-vote gap with an increase barely passing the primary election. All votes stand unofficial and preliminary until properly certified by the Benton County Election Commission which usually takes place ten days after election day. 

The Avoca Fire and Rescue Department took to the March ballot to increase dues to $125 per household this spring as the first dues increase question since 2007. The Avoca Fire Department has had dues of $50 for the past 17 years. The department started in 1979 with dues being set at $25 per household.  

If the narrow vote on the March 5 ballot stands, the Avoca dues will increase to $125. 

The annual dues will fall on each residence including businesses that have a structure established within the district of the volunteer-run Avoca fire department. This change will be listed on real property tax statements, collected near the same time and manner as the real property taxes handled annually. This comes into accordance with A.C.A. 14-20-108, Arkansas code that allows requests to be filed to the Quorum Court regarding volunteer fire departments.

According to the resolution and ordinance document on bentoncountyar.gov, the volunteer fire department requires “annual dues to provide adequate fire and rescue protection in its service area.” 

“The costs have risen since 2007 to the point that annual dues of $50 are no longer sufficient for the Avoca Fire & Rescue department to provide safe and adequate protection in its service area,” the document states. 

The question proposed “Increasing the Annual Dues of The Avoca Fire and Rescue Department for Fire Protection Services; Designating the County Official Who Will Collect and Remit the Annual Dues Charged by The Department; And Prescribing Other Matters Pertaining Thereto.”

Justice of the Peace Jeff Dunn said, “Volunteer fire departments are crucial…they are not responsible for the people that live there; they are responsible for everything that happens inside those lines.” 

County Justices of the Peace

The Arkansas party primaries have set the stage for the general election in November 2024. The March 5 Republican primary allowed voters to decide the party’s nominees for justice of the peace to appear on the ballot in November.

In District 1, incumbent Jeff Dunn leads the unofficial count with 52.63% with Michael McCaskey holding 47.37% in favor. In District 8, incumbent Joel Jones leads 51.92% facing challenger Lisa Richards  who trails with 48.08% unofficial votes. 

In Benton County’s District 12, which includes the city of Siloam Springs, voters decided that the newly opened Justice of the Peace seat will go to John Good Rissler, who garnered 60.66% against Caroline Geer for the Republican nomination. No one from the Democratic Party filed for that position. The incumbent, Ron Homeyer, did not seek re-election. 

In Benton County’s District 15, which includes an area near Centerton, incumbent Joel Edwards  has 66.20% of votes against challenger Andrew Sova who holds 33.80% unofficial votes. There were no contested JP races for the Democratic Party’s nomination.

Along with the Avoca fire dues increase proposal, voters in affected areas considered a bond issue question for Centerton and a police pension tax question for Bella Vista. The Centerton question proposed an extension on current bonds and approval for a new bond that could potentially bring a new community center, expand the Centerton police department and provide street improvements. According to the unofficial returns, all Centerton bond and tax proposal questions were passed with more than 60% of votes in favor. One of the measures will allow the city to build a new community center.

 The police pension tax for Bella Vista will go for retired police officers’ pensions. The ballot item for Bella Vista proposes that an “Ad valorem property tax in the amount of an addition 0.5 mills on the dollar upon the assessed value of the real and personal property in the city.” 

The Bella Vista Police Officers Pension was approved by the voters with 57.70% for the ballot measure,  according to unofficial results provided by the Benton County Election Commission. 

Residents of counties who do not live in incorporated towns receive services from the county government including roads, police and water, said Matt Evans, NWACC political science professor, said. The way things are administered and paid for is handled by the Quorum Court, which is made up of Justices of the Peace. A Justice of the Peace serves a geographical district, or subdivision of the county. 

“The Quorum Court is a legislative body that determines issues of taxation and policy on the county level, and thus determines how to allocate resources to local sheriff’s offices, jails, and for county employees and services,” Evans said.