GRAVETTE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Gravette city leaders ask voters to extend the current sales tax to make improvements in the city.

The city received a community grant from Rep. Steve Womack, and they want to use that and the money from the extended sales tax.

If voters approve the extension, the money would be used by the city to improve roads and streets along with the development of a sewer that extends to Interstate 49 at the Bella Vista bypass.

In order to make all of this happen, Gravette Mayor Kurt Maddox says the city has to pay off the old bond first by using the 0.75% sales and use tax that was renewed in 2016. 

That bond originally started at $7 million and the city currently has about $4 million left to pay off. 

After that is paid off, the city would then get $3.8 million if approved at the polls.  

Maddox says this bond is important to the city.

“We’ve been looking for years to try to get sewer from this part of town over to the Hiwassee area and that is that first stage to get that to the east part of Gravette,” Maddox said. 

If the proposal is not approved, the current 0.75% tax will still stay in place and the city will have to use other funding to pay an outstanding bond.

This will also lead to a change in plans for the sewer.

“We just won’t get as far. We’ll still take the grant money that we’re going to receive and we’ll make the sewer go as far as we can make it go,” Maddox said. 

KNWA/FOX24 talked with residents in Gravette today, but they did not wish to comment. 

Gravette residents can vote on Nov.14 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Gravette Civic Center.