Delay in College Tax Vote

Trustees of Pulaski Technical College voted last week to delay a property tax election until the measure can be the only tax item on the ballot.

The Arkansas school had planned a July election on the formation of a technical college district that would levy a property tax rate of 1 to 3 mills. Each mill would generate $6.2 million of annual revenues, based on 2010 property valuations in Pulaski County.

The trustees said they did not want the question on September’s school board ballot or at the general election in November. The first available date would be Sept. 9.

The election plan must be approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which meets in July, and the Pulaski County Election Commission. Once those approvals are obtained, the school must publish an official notice 90 days before the election.

Pulaski Tech is one of the 23 community colleges in Arkansas without a local sales or property tax.

Pulaski County voters rejected a 0.125% sales tax for the college in 2002.

The school has $65 million of capital projects that would be financed in part with bonds supported by the tax.

The district issued $69.5 million of student tuition and fee revenue bonds in 2011

Pulaski Technical College’s debt is rated AA-plus with a negative outlook by Standard & Poor’s.

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