Constitution of Arkansas (2025 publisher edition) — Amendment 30: CITY LIBRARIES .

Publisher edition notice: This collection preserves the complete constitutional appendix of the Secretary of State’s 2025 Election Laws and Constitution compilation: its preamble, twenty original articles, schedule and 104 published amendments, including annotations and explicit repealed notices. Repealed notices remain historical publisher context. Later amendments have not been independently verified.

Amendment 30

AMEND. 30. CITY LIBRARIES .
Publisher’s Notes. This amendment was proposed by
initiative petition and adopted at the general election on
Nov. 5, 1940, by a vote of 107,115 for and 56,500 against.
§ 1. Petition for tax levy — Election.
Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any city, having a population of not less than 5,000,
shall file a petition with the Mayor asking that an annual tax on real and personal property be
levied for the purpose of maintaining and operating a public city library and shall specify a rate
of taxation not to exceed five mills on the dollar, the question as to whether such tax shall be
levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such city at a general or special election. Such
petition must be filed at least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the
voters. The ballot shall be in substantially the following form:
For a ________ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for maintenance and operation
of a public city library.
Against a ________ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for maintenance and
operation of a public city library. [As amended by Const. Amend. 72, § 1.]
Publisher’s Notes. Before amendment by Ark. Const.
Amend. 72, § 1, this section read: “Whenever 100 or more
taxpaying electors of any city, having a population of not
less than 5,000, shall file a petition with the Mayor asking
that an annual tax on real and personal property be levied
for the purpose of maintaining a public city library and
shall specify a rate of taxation not exceeding one mill on
the dollar, the question as to whether such tax shall be
levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such
city at a general city election. Such petition must be filed at
least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be
submitted to the voters. The ballot shall be in substantially
the following form:
“For a ________ mill tax on real and personal property to
be used for maintenance of a public city library.
“Against a ________ mill tax on real and personal prop-
erty to be used for maintenance of a public city library.”
§ 2. Result of election — Certification and proclamation — Tax levy.
The Election Commissioners shall certify to the Mayor the result of the vote, and if a majority
of the qualified electors voting on the question at such election vote in favor of the specified tax,
then it shall thereafter be continually levied and collected as other general taxes of such city are
levied and collected. The result of the election shall be proclaimed by the Mayor. The result so
670 Amend. 29, § 3 CONSTITUTION OF ARKANSAS

-- 683 of 883 --

proclaimed shall be conclusive unless attacked in the courts within thirty days. The proceeds of
any tax voted for the maintenance of a city public library shall be segregated by the city officials
and used only for that purpose.
§ 3. Raising, reducing or abolishing tax — Petition and election.
Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any city having a library tax in force shall file a
petition with the Mayor asking that such tax be raised, reduced or abolished, the question shall
be submitted to the qualified electors at a general or special election. Such petition must be filed
at least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The ballot
shall follow, as far as practicable, the form set forth in Section 1 hereof. The result shall be
certified and proclaimed, as provided in Section 2 hereof, and the result as proclaimed shall be
conclusive unless attacked in the courts within thirty days. Subject to the limitations of Section
5(e) hereof, the tax shall be lowered, raised or abolished, as the case may be, according to the
majority of the qualified electors voting on the question of such election. If lowered or raised, the
revised tax shall thereafter be continually levied and collected and the proceeds used in the
manner and for the purposes as provided in Section 2 hereof. [As amended by Const. Amend. 72,
§ 2.]
Publisher’s Notes. Before amendment by Ark. Const.
Amend. 72, § 2, this section read: “Whenever 100 or more
taxpaying electors of any city having a library tax in force
shall file a petition with the Mayor asking that such tax be
raised, reduced or abolished, the question shall be submit-
ted to the qualified electors at a general city election. Such
petition must be filed at least thirty days prior to the
election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The
ballot shall follow, as far as practicable, the form set forth
in Section 1 hereof. The result shall be certified and
proclaimed, as provided in Section 2 hereof, and the result
as proclaimed shall be conclusive unless attacked in the
courts within thirty days. The tax shall be lowered, raised
or abolished, as the case may be, according to the majority
of the qualified electors voting on the question of such
election; provided, however, that it shall not be raised to
more than one mill on the dollar. If lowered or raised, the
revised tax shall thereafter be continually levied and
collected and the proceeds used in the manner and for the
purposes as provided for in Section 2 hereof.”
§ 4. Co-ordination of city with county library.
Nothing herein shall be construed as preventing a co-ordination of the services of a city public
library and a county public library.
§ 5. Petition for tax levy — Election.
(a) Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any city, having a population of not less than
5,000, shall file a petition with the Mayor asking that an annual tax on real and personal
property be levied for capital improvements to or construction of a public city library and shall
specify a rate of taxation not to exceed three mills on the dollar, the question as to whether such
tax shall be levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such city at a general or special
election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be
submitted to the voters. The ballot shall be in substantially the following form:
For a ____ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for capital improvements to or
construction of a public city library.
Against a ____ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for capital improvements to or
construction of a public city library.
(b) The electors may authorize the governing body of the city to issue bonds as prescribed by
law for capital improvements to or construction of the library and to authorize the pledge of all,
or any part of, the tax authorized by this section for the purpose of retiring the bonds. The ballot
submitting the question to the voters shall be in substantially the following form:
For a ____ mill tax on real and personal property within the city, to be pledged to an issue or
issues of bonds not to exceed $____, in aggregate principal amount, to finance capital improve-
ments to or construction of the city library and to authorize the issuance of the bonds on such
terms and conditions as shall be approved by the city.
Against a ____ mill tax on real and personal property within the city, to be pledged to an issue
or issues of bonds not to exceed $____, in aggregate principal amount, to finance capital
671 Amend. 30, § 5 CITY LIBRARIES

-- 684 of 883 --

improvements to or construction of the city library and to authorize the issuance of the bonds on
such terms and conditions as they shall be approved by the city.
(c) The maximum rate of any special tax to pay bonded indebtedness, as authorized by
paragraph (b) hereof shall be stated on the ballot.
(d) The special tax for payment of bonded indebtedness authorized in paragraph (b) hereof
shall constitute a special fund pledged as security for the payment of such indebtedness. The
special tax shall never be extended for any purpose, nor collected for any greater length of time
than necessary to retire such bonded indebtedness, except that tax receipts in excess of the
amount required to retire the debt according to its terms may, subject to covenants entered into
with the holders of the bonds, be pledged as security for the issuance of additional bonds if
authorized by the voters. The tax for such additional bonds shall terminate within the time
provided for the tax originally imposed. Upon retirement of the bonded indebtedness, any surplus
tax collections, which may have accumulated shall be transferred to the general funds of the city,
and shall be used for maintenance and operation of the public city library.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this amendment, a tax approved by the voters for
the purpose of paying the bonded indebtedness shall not be reduced or diminished, nor shall it be
used for any other purpose than to pay principal of, premium or interest on, and the reasonable
fees of a trustee or paying agent, so long as the bonded indebtedness shall remain outstanding
and unpaid. [As added by Const. Amend. 72, § 3; as amended by Const. Amend. 89, § 14.]
Publisher’s Notes. Ark. Const. Amend. 89, § 14,
amended this section effective January 1, 2011. Amend-
ment 89 was proposed by H.J.R. 1004 during the 2009
Regular Session and adopted at the 2010 general election
by a vote of 448,711 for and 250,167 against.
Before amendment, the introductory language of subsec-
tion (b) read: “The electors may authorize the governing
body of the city to issue bonds as prescribed by law for
capital improvements to or construction of the library and
to authorize the pledge of all, or any part of, the tax
authorized by this section for the purpose of retiring the
bonds. The interest rate on any bonds shall not exceed the
rate provided by this Constitution. The ballot submitting
the question to the voters shall be in substantially the
following form:”