Trumann moves ahead with plans for new fire station

TRUMANN, Ark. (KAIT) - The city of Trumann is moving forward with plans to build a new fire station.

A tornado destroyed the fire station located on Main Street in Dec. 2021. Since then, the fire station has been left empty.

On Monday, March 27, the city approved a bond ordinance that will provide the city with $1.6 million for the new station.

This is on top of the $1 million the city already received through an insurance payout, according to mayor Jay Paul Woods, bringing the total for the total to $2.6 million.

Woods said the city was able to pass the bond ordinance without voters because the city won’t be taxing the citizens to pay the bonds back.

He added he did not want to propose a tax increase on the citizens who already pay 10.25% in taxes.

Instead, the money that will pay those bonds back will come from a franchise tax that is already collected by the city.

An additional franchise tax ordinance was passed on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

City Clerk Hunter Vick said the funds from that ordinance will be paid annually by Empower which will add more money to the franchise tax funds and the city will pay the bonds with it.

“It’s not going to be an additional tax, it’s not going to be a $30, $40 extra, it’s gonna come from what they give us through franchise, what they pay in franchise tax. The companies, not the citizens,” he said.

The city said it was previously waiting on a USDA loan but was told it could be waiting until September before even knowing if the loan was approved.

The city decided not to wait for that and proceed with the bonds. Mayor Jay Paul Woods said that any money left over after the station is built will go back to the bonds.

He added because it has already started architectural and engineering work, the city is ahead of schedule.

Work on the new building could start as soon as June.

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