By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Lonoke voters approved a 2-cent hospitality tax on Tuesday, dedicated to improving and expanding city parks, by a vote of 176 to 137.
That should raise about $100,000 a year for city parks and free money for other uses.
Approval also means 3-percent across-the-board pay raises for city employees beginning in July, accor-ding to the city budget, approved Monday night.
The money will allow the city to erect lights on more of its ball fields, to landscape and put benches along the walking trail from downtown to the ball parks and to develop an exercise trail behind the Lonoke Community Center, accor-ding to Mayor Thomas Priv-ett.
Approval of the tax also means the city can stop diverting money from the street, water and sewer department for use at the parks.
The tax was the idea of city treasurer Walls McCrary.
