Arkansans Vote on Billion Dollar Bond Issue

"It builds those key infrastructure projects that we've needed for so long, like widening 540, Bella Vista bypass and start the Springdale bypass."

If passed, the state would front the money for several construction projects.

That loan would then be paid off through the half cent sales tax over the next 10 years.

"It sunsets, it goes away," President/CEO of Northwest Arkansas Council, Mike Malone said.

"Every tax payer knows when they call it a temporary tax, it's kind of a joke. We all know it's not temporary, it's going to be here forever. This would come up again in 10 years and they'll be saying 'oh we still need the money.'" Patsy Wootton said, the Executive Director of Conservative Arkansas.

Malone said the 75 bucks a year the average household would pay is well worth the cost.

"For every dollar spent in revenue, Northwest Arkansas is going to get almost a dollar and a half in projects."

But according to Wootton, it should come from somewhere other than our pockets.

"Arkansas is one of very few states that does not fund their highways through general revenue. We're doing this through the sales taxes."

But it's not just the money, it's also a trust issue.

"Some of the critics have said highway dollars haven't been distributed fairly," Malone said.

"They can take sales tax money and do as they please with it and that's what's happened in the past," Malone said.

But if the money does go toward construction, research shows it would help the economy and local business. Wootton though, doesn't buy it.

"We've got Walmart, University of Arkansas, J.B.Hunt, Tyson, and they've been here for years, we've needed highways for years, so if they highways really matter to these corporations, they why haven't they done anything about highways in the past?" Wootton said.

One thing these two do agree on however, highways are a problem in Northwest Arkansas, and they need to be fixed.

"We definitely need something done with the highways, 5-40 is dangerous," Wootton said.

"We've got over 70,000 of our residents that touch or drive or are on 540 at some point during the day," Malone said.