Bella Vista Incorporation Woes

Many of the residents in Bella Vista Heights say they pay assessment fees to the Property Owners Association, but were not included in the vote on incorporation and as a result will not be a part of the town of Bella Vista. Scott Miller has lived in Bella Vista Heights for eight years and says his neighborhood is one of the oldest parts of the village. Miller says he pays his assessment fees to the POA just like everyone else and is upset he won`t be considered a member of the new town. "What`s gonna happen now if we`re a part of Benton County that means our roads are done by them, that means the police is changed over and the fire department...I just don`t feel it`s right," Miller said. We were unable to get an interview with J.D. Highfill whose group-- the Concerned Citizens of Bella Vista-- spearheaded the incorporation effort and chose the map for the new town. He says they chose a map drawn up by the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission back in 2003, and decided not to redraw the boudaries because the existing ones were "the simplest and quickest" way to get a petition through. But for many in Bella Vista Heights, that answer isn`t good enough. "I live in the area, I pay the dues, I do what they ask me to do, I follow their rules but when it comes to making a voice heard I`m not allowed to do that," said resident Lee Golaway. Four year resident Roland O`Brien feels just as strongly. "I feel like somebody slapped me in the face, it feels like I`m an outsider."