Issue 5 Facts – What a funding cut for the Saline County Library would mean for individuals

Saline County voters are deciding Ballot Issue #5 in the general election. It’s through a proposed ordinance introduced by Justice of the Peace Josh Curtis that would reduce the property tax millage supporting the Saline County Library from 1.7 mills down to 1.1 mills.

If approved by electors, the measure would reduce property tax collections allocated to the county library system by an estimated $1,716,000 annually.

Read below to see what that number would mean to an individual taxpayer.

DECREASED FUNDING TO LIBRARY

Justice Curtis introduced the idea of reducing the the library’s funding at a Finance Committee meeting, stating, “This is a really exciting ordinance to present to the Quorum Court and to hopefully submit to the electors of Saline County – a $1,716,000 tax cut to property owners in Saline County.”

Also during that proposal at the April 6, 2026 meeting, Curtis stated his reasoning for putting the measure before voters, noting that the millage reduction “would be a little bit of relief for the taxpayers in Saline County.”

AMOUNT SAVED BY INDIVIDUALS

For an individual residential property owner, the measure offers a modest annual change in tax liability. In Arkansas, property taxes are calculated based on an assessed valuation rate of 20 percent of a home’s estimated market value, according to the Saline County Assessor’s office. On a home valued at $200,000, the assessed valuation is $40,000.

Under the current 1.7 mills rate, a homeowner with a $200,000 market value pays $68 per year to support the Saline County Library. Under the proposed 1.1 mills rate on Ballot Issue #5, that annual tax payment would decrease to $44. Under this example, the taxpayer would save $24 per year, or $2 per month.

WHAT ARE LIBRARY FACILITIES

The Saline County Library system currently operates four facilities across the county – three branch locations and one museum. There are the Benton and Bryant branches, and then the system’s third and newest branch in East End opened on April 1, 2024. It serves residents in the East End community, who previously faced a drive of 30-45 minutes to reach the nearest library branch.

The Gann Museum of Saline County became part of the Saline County Library system’s operations on November 28, 2022, when the Benton City Council passed Resolution 132 of 2022, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. The resolution authorized the City of Benton to enter into an agreement allowing the library to lease and operate the museum.

WHAT ARE LIBRARY FINANCES

Financial figures provided in public documentation by the Saline County Library Alliance outline the library system’s current cash positions, annual operating budgets, and property tax revenues:

Bank Balances:

As of Sept. 30, 2026, the library reported holding

$1,880,470.20 in its checking account and

$2,605,191.58 in a certificate of deposit that matured Sept. 11,

bringing combined reported holdings to $4,485,661.78.

2026 Operating Budget:

The library’s budgeted annual revenue for 2026 is $4,548,550.61

against budgeted annual expenditures of $5,402,116.12.

Budgeted personnel expenses total $3,215,636.76,

while budgeted materials (books, audiobooks, and digital resources) total $550,000.

Actual Year-to-Date Totals:

Through September 2026, actual revenue received stood at $3,461,063.46

against $3,285,478.89 in actual expenditures,

resulting in $175,584.57 more received than spent prior to major end-of-year property tax collections in October and November.

Historical Tax Receipts:

County tax receipt records show library property tax collections of:

$3,288,544.30 in 2021;

$3,460,061.46 in 2022;

$3,813,588.73 in 2023;

$4,198,154.26 in 2024; and

$4,402,936.46 in 2025.

Collections through September 2026 totaled $3,161,765.83.

AMOUNT OF PEOPLE LIBRARY SERVES

These are the estimated numbers of people who resided in Saline County Arkansas on a yearly basis, from 1995 until 2025.

The graph shows a steadily climbing population from year to year, culminating in a gain of over 56,000 residents, or a 72.5% growth since 1995, and not counting the current year’s estimated growth.

THE ELECTION

Early voting for Ballot Issue #5 and the general election is ongoing across Saline County, operating Mondays through Saturdays until Nov. 2. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

How it looks on the ballot: