LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — On Saturday, the Coalition of Little Rock Neighborhoods held a meeting to discuss the pros and cons of Mayor Frank Scott Jr.’s one percent sales tax, which the Little Rock City Council passed on July 30.

This tax will now be voted on in the upcoming elections in November.

The tax consists of a sales tax of ⅝ cents, which expires after 10 years, and a permanent tax of ⅜ cents.

Scott said this ⅝ cent tax increase will generate an estimated $650 million in revenue over the next ten years.

These funds will be used to improve the city, with a focus on public safety, public infrastructure, parks and recreation areas, and port and economic development.

“I support the one-cent sales tax,” said Virgil Miller, city manager of Little Rock.

Miller shared his opinion on the tax, saying one of the reasons he supported it was inflation.

“Look at this in your own budget. We know we need more money to operate. We know expenses are going up. We’re being asked to do a lot with what we have, and frankly, we don’t have enough money to do all the things we’re given,” Miller said.

While many are in favor of the tax, there are also others who are against it.

Retired judge Wendell Griffen said he opposed the sales tax because it was regressive.

Griffen focused his argument on how much tax money would flow into police work.

“If you look at the proposal, about 17 percent of that two-thirds of a billion dollars goes to policing,” Griffen said.

Griffen disapproves of the estimated $15 million that will go toward community policing.

“If you start community policing now, 15 years after the first data sharing – community policing is what people do – you’re too late,” Griffen said.

“You can’t restart a race 15 years after it started and try to catch up and get ahead. Not with my money and not with your money,” Griffen said.