SALES TAX WILL NOT FIX IF IT'S APPROVED BY VOTERS. <> "THE SEBASTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF SAYS THE DETENTION CENTER AVERAGES ABOUT 20% MORE PEOPLE THAN IT WAS DESIGNED TO HOLD. THE SHERIFF SAYS EXTENDING THE SALES TAX WILL NOT ADDRESS OVERCROWDING ISSUES, BUT SAYS IT'S CRUCIAL TO MAINTAINING IT." <> "That tax is imperative for the operations of public safety and all Sebastian County." SHERIFF HOBE RUNION SAYS THE SEBASTIAN COUNTY-WIDE ONE PERCENT SALES TAX PAYS FOR 16 DEPUTIES TO PATROL THE COUNTY AND WORK INSIDE THE DETENTION CENTER. <> "Without that, we would have to look at shutting down some pods." EVERY CITY IN SEBASTIAN COUNTY GETS A PORTION OF THE TAX REVENUES, INCLUDING THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT. <> "I know, for the county, it makes up about 10% of our budget, and you start talking about the smaller towns, it makes up probably half of their budget or more. So it's definitely critical." ONE PERCENT OF EVERY DOLLAR SPENT IN THE COUNTY GOES TO HELP FUND POLICE, FIRE FIREFIGHTERS, PARKS, LIBRARIES AND SENIOR CITIZENS CENTERS. THE CURRENT SALES AND USE TAX IS SET TO SUNSET JUNE, 2024. ON AUGUST 8TH, VOTERS WILL DECIDE IF THE TAX WILL BE EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS. THE REVENUES ARE DIVIDED UP BASED ON POPULATION. FORT SMITH GETS THE MOST. IN 2022 THE CITY RECEIVED MORE THAN 23-AND-A-HALF MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE SALES TAX. THE COUNTY RECEIVED $4.8 MILLION DOLLARS. <> "It's essential for those operations." <> "If we move backwards it would almost be catastrophic to the operation of the jail and county law enforcement." IF VOTERS SAY YES TO THE TAX FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS, SHERIFF RUNION SAYS IT WILL NOT SOLVE JAIL OVERCROWDING ISSUES. HE SAYS ANY EXPANSION PROJECTS WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FUNDING. THE DETENTION CENTER IS RATED TO HOLD 356 INMATES, BUT RUNION SAYS OFTEN THERE'S often MORE INMATES THAN BEDS, REQUIRING SOME TO SLEEP ON MATS. <> "we've had two studies that have both said that we should have between 550 and 600 beds in Sebastian County." "I think we probably have as many programs - we have diversion, we have specialty courts, probably more than any other county in the state. So we're doing everything we can." "We can to put the right people in jail, but at a certain point in time, we're going to have to have more beds. What people forget is we are a community of 130,000 but we're really a community of a quarter-million because of everybody that comes in the Fort Smith." <> "EARLY VOTING STARTS O