I have lived in Searcy for 40 years now and have been a volunteer with youth sports 28 of those 40 years. Even after my kids no longer played youth sports in Searcy, I have continued helping in any way I can. Being there day in and day out you see the things that most citizens of Searcy do not.

I moved to Searcy when I was 6 years old. My friends and I went to the Searcy Public Pool (built in 1966) and spent most of the day swimming and having a great time. You can no longer do that because the water is too cold due to leaks. I watched Searcy build a new community center in 1978 (Carmichael Community Center). I spent many days and nights there, playing games and other activities. It was great that we had a place we could go and be with other kids.  I also played baseball at Berryhill Park before the new Sports Complex was built in 1986. Our forefathers had a great vision for this great community. 

Over the last 5 or 6 years we have been able to improve our Parks and Rec through our local businesses along with help from state grants. By being a member of the Searcy Parks and Rec Advisory Board, I have watched our state grants be cut from every year to every other year at best. Our Parks and Rec facilities are in tremendous need of improvements and updating. This tax will provide the money needed for these improvements and allow our city to continue on the same path our forefathers had 44 years ago. 

It’s time for the voters of Searcy to step up and vote “For” this tax, so we can continue on with the same great visions our forefathers had for this great community. This tax will provide approximately $800,000 a year to help promote Searcy and improve our Parks and Rec. This will cost most citizens of this great community less than $50 a year (that’s if you spend $5000 per year in “prepared food”). To me this is a very small price to pay for the return Searcy will get back. Other communities such as Cabot, Jacksonville, Conway, Heber Springs, Jonesboro, and Russellville, Fayetteville, & Benton utilize this same tax and have made tremendous improvements in their community. Let’s do the same for our community and let them help pay for ours.  

Please help our great community by voting “For” the A&P Tax on April 13th. 

Thank you,

Danny Bennett