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To the Editor:
It is with great interest that I’ve watched a few unhappy residents of Caddo Valley gather signatures and ask that our city be dissolved and become a part of Arkadelphia.
It is also with great interest that I’ve watched a few aggressive politicians, a few citizens of Arkadelphia and the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce jump at the opportunity to promote the idea by inundating the residents of Caddo Valley with pro-consolidation propaganda.
This is a proposal that has surfaced several times since I have lived in Clark County. It has been my observation that this occurs each time there is a “hiccup” and Caddo Valley exposes itself to the effort.
I live in Caddo Valley, but have also lived in Arkadelphia and consider myself a resident of the Arkadelphia/Caddo Valley Community. I have enjoyed living in both towns. I work here, shop here and am active in both cities and the community.
I like living in Caddo Valley and feel that we have much to offer. When considering the size of our small town, we have a lot going on. Caddo Valley is one of the most dynamic and respected small towns in Arkansas. I believe that we have a great future.
We are ideally located at the intersection of three major highways. Statistics show that over 30,000 cars and trucks pass through our town each day. We have a number of major businesses, including motels and restaurants. We have other businesses that are in the process of locating here or that are considering locating to our city. We are the southern gateway to DeGray Lake State Park and are visited by thousands of tourists each year.
It is easy to see why Arkadelphia would have a keen interest in the additional resources and revenues that Caddo Valley and our location can provide. My concern is that this gain would be at Caddo Valley’s expense.
My observation has been that Arkadelphia expends an unequal allotment of funding and energy promoting its downtown district. This appears to limit the effort and funding that is available to other areas of town. I am very concerned about where Caddo Valley would fall in the list of priorities.
Another major concern is that the present residents of Caddo Valley would have a very limited voice in the proposed new government. With a small proportionate vote, there is no guarantee that any resident of Caddo Valley would be an elected representative to the “Arkadelphia City Government.”
As a resident of Caddo Valley, I have weighed the benefits of consolidation and have found them wanting. I presently have city services, high profile police protection and a fire department that is superior to those of towns much larger. I have a dedicated mayor and a city government that works with minimal bureaucracy. I feel that I have a voice in our town and our future.
I like living in Caddo Valley and would truly hate to lose our town, our voice and our small town sense of community.
Caddo Valley did not just happen. It is here because of the hard work of many of us and of those who came before us. I would hate to have our town dissolved and the fruits of these efforts simply handed to someone else.
My greatest regret is the damage this consolidation attempt will do to our towns. Over the past few years, I feel that an overt effort has been made to establish a positive working relationship. We were beginning to see good things. As an active citizen of Caddo Valley, I feel that we’ve gone out of our way to establish an attitude of cooperation. I am concerned that this move has set us back many years.
I anticipate that this consolidation attempt will meet with heavy disapproval in Caddo Valley. It is simply unreasonable to aggressively ask the residents of our town to “give it up” and hand over control and all of our assets to another.
I fear that this move will prove detrimental to the futures of both towns and to our countywide effort to promote growth.
I truly regret that this has taken place.
John Tackett
Caddo Valley
To the Editor:
It is with great interest that I’ve watched a few unhappy residents of Caddo Valley gather signatures and ask that our city be dissolved and become a part of Arkadelphia.
It is also with great interest that I’ve watched a few aggressive politicians, a few citizens of Arkadelphia and the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce jump at the opportunity to promote the idea by inundating the residents of Caddo Valley with pro-consolidation propaganda.
This is a proposal that has surfaced several times since I have lived in Clark County. It has been my observation that this occurs each time there is a “hiccup” and Caddo Valley exposes itself to the effort.
I live in Caddo Valley, but have also lived in Arkadelphia and consider myself a resident of the Arkadelphia/Caddo Valley Community. I have enjoyed living in both towns. I work here, shop here and am active in both cities and the community.
I like living in Caddo Valley and feel that we have much to offer. When considering the size of our small town, we have a lot going on. Caddo Valley is one of the most dynamic and respected small towns in Arkansas. I believe that we have a great future.
We are ideally located at the intersection of three major highways. Statistics show that over 30,000 cars and trucks pass through our town each day. We have a number of major businesses, including motels and restaurants. We have other businesses that are in the process of locating here or that are considering locating to our city. We are the southern gateway to DeGray Lake State Park and are visited by thousands of tourists each year.
It is easy to see why Arkadelphia would have a keen interest in the additional resources and revenues that Caddo Valley and our location can provide. My concern is that this gain would be at Caddo Valley’s expense.
My observation has been that Arkadelphia expends an unequal allotment of funding and energy promoting its downtown district. This appears to limit the effort and funding that is available to other areas of town. I am very concerned about where Caddo Valley would fall in the list of priorities.
Another major concern is that the present residents of Caddo Valley would have a very limited voice in the proposed new government. With a small proportionate vote, there is no guarantee that any resident of Caddo Valley would be an elected representative to the “Arkadelphia City Government.”
As a resident of Caddo Valley, I have weighed the benefits of consolidation and have found them wanting. I presently have city services, high profile police protection and a fire department that is superior to those of towns much larger. I have a dedicated mayor and a city government that works with minimal bureaucracy. I feel that I have a voice in our town and our future.
I like living in Caddo Valley and would truly hate to lose our town, our voice and our small town sense of community.
Caddo Valley did not just happen. It is here because of the hard work of many of us and of those who came before us. I would hate to have our town dissolved and the fruits of these efforts simply handed to someone else.
My greatest regret is the damage this consolidation attempt will do to our towns. Over the past few years, I feel that an overt effort has been made to establish a positive working relationship. We were beginning to see good things. As an active citizen of Caddo Valley, I feel that we’ve gone out of our way to establish an attitude of cooperation. I am concerned that this move has set us back many years.
I anticipate that this consolidation attempt will meet with heavy disapproval in Caddo Valley. It is simply unreasonable to aggressively ask the residents of our town to “give it up” and hand over control and all of our assets to another.
I fear that this move will prove detrimental to the futures of both towns and to our countywide effort to promote growth.
I truly regret that this has taken place.
John Tackett
Caddo Valley
