Editor s note: The city of Pine Bluff is undertaking a transformation in the Pine Bluff and Watson Chapel school districts and trying again to renew and add sales taxes to fund capital improvements and support police officers and firefighters in a Nov. 14 election. Meanwhile, El Dorado residents have enjoyed changes for the better since 2007, which include the "Promise" of a free or less-expensive education and a series of sales taxes leading to a more vibrant community.
Voting will begin this Tuesday and continue through Election Day on May 9 for Pine Bluff voters to decide whether to renew the “Go Forward” five-eighths-cent sales tax for another seven years and to consider adding a brand-new and permanent three-eighths-cent sales tax for public safety. I will be voting NO against these measures on the ballot this special election. Only with the addition of a Pine Bluff Promise scholarship opportunity as well as transparency and accountability standards will I be able to support the ballot measures in the Primary Election next March.