Calhoun County judge wants to cover Hogskin Arena to cap regional attraction

Calhoun County voters will decide in March whether or not to approve a new half-percent sales tax, which County Judge Floyd Nutt is advancing to pay for local park improvements. Nutt is especially keen on using proceeds, which he anticipates will be up to $800,000 annually, to put a roof over one of the top assets in the county: Hogskin Arena, which hosts a number of rodeos a year. Making the 5,000-seat facility an all-weather attraction will help bring economic development to Arkansas' smallest county and provide more recreational opportunities for the area's rural population.

By: Aaron Gettinger
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

HAMPTON -- Calhoun County voters will decide in March whether or not to approve a new half-percent sales tax, which County Judge Floyd Nutt is advancing to pay for local park improvements.

Nutt is especially keen on using proceeds, which he anticipates will be up to $800,000 annually, to put a roof over one of the top assets in the county: Hogskin Arena, which hosts a number of rodeos a year. Making the 5,000-seat facility an all-weather attraction will help bring economic development to Arkansas' smallest county and provide more recreational opportunities for the area's rural population.

The Quorum Court approved putting the sales tax question on the March 2024 ballot Monday night by a 5-3 vote.

From a revenue perspective, Calhoun County benefits from hosting Highland Industrial Park, 18,780 acres of factories and warehousing with a special focus on the aerospace and defense industries. Last month, the state announced a new $33 million RTX and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems missile manufacturing facility that will create 30 jobs. The industrial park is Calhoun County's biggest employer.

Read more here.