Final Reallocation Financials A Slap in the Face to Voters

Last November 3, Faulkner County voters came very close — 48.49% “Yes” to 51.51% “No” — to changing the way the existing Criminal Justice sales tax is allocated to allow adequate funding for the Sheriff’s Department without affecting current Road Department services.

As promised, FCR has obtained the final financial disclosure reports from the Arkansas Ethics Commission; however, they shed little light on the total cost and identity of all donors to this hard-fought campaign.

While the Faulkner County Citizens FOR Reallocation’s final financial disclosure report lists all that group’s donations very clearly, the 8-page report filed by Keep Faulkner County Moving Forward is just the opposite — practically illegible.

It is truly frustrating that “big money” won the election: Faulkner County Democrats and the opponents spent over $81,000 to help County Judge Jim Baker keep “his” Road Department money — more than ten times than the $8,000 raised by supporters of this badly needed financial adjustment in Faulkner County.

What’s unacceptable is the obvious, deliberate sloppiness of the report from Keep Faulkner County Moving Forward, which means the public cannot know the identity of the opponents.

Citizens have a right to expect more. Faulkner County voters deserve to know the facts about who bought this election.