SEARCY, Ark.- The city of Searcy will soon be adopting an additional tax. 

City council members voted Tuesday night to pass an Advertising and Promotions tax with only one council member voting against it.

In the last several months the city has undergone a lot of changes including new businesses and restaurants opening up in town to winning a nationwide competition to be featured on reality TV show Small Business Revolution. 

“The environment right now is such that there’s such an excitement and people want to see this city progress,” says City councilman Chris Howell.  “We need the funds to continue the momentum.”

The tax will implement a three percent A & P tax on hotels and lodging and one percent tax on prepared foods.

“It’s something that our city has needed for years and years,” says Deandra Gibson, who lives in Searcy.  

Howell says the tax is actually an investment into the city.  

He says it will be used to advertise and promote Searcy, but also to improve parks and recreation, build community centers and ultimately grow the population.  

There has been some pushback though, mostly on social media.  

One woman posted in a community forum saying “Searcy mayor and city council is going to pass this A & P tax even though the majority of citizens have told them time and time again that we don’t want it.”

Howell says despite the naysayers he believes there is a lot of support for the additional tax.  “At the end of the day Searcy needs this tax.”

It is set to take effect on June 1, 2019.