City, County and Local Affairs

House Bill 1567 aimed to update the definition of "motor vehicle racing facility" as it applies to permit requirements in specific rural areas of Arkansas. The bill would have expanded the existing definition to include facilities used for competitive racing by trucks modified for racing. Additionally, it clarified that facilities hosting racing for all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles modified for racing would also fall under this updated definition. This change would have affected how these types of racing facilities are categorized for permitting purposes.

House Bill 1936 proposed changes to how municipal elections are conducted in Arkansas. For cities with a mayor-council form of government, the bill would have required county party committees to conduct party primaries for municipal offices. This would only be bypassed if the city council passed a resolution for nonpartisan elections by August 31st of the year before the election, with such a resolution lasting two years. Additionally, the bill clarified that elections for directors in city manager forms of government and for mayors and directors in city administrator forms of government are nonpartisan. It also specified election methods (ward or at-large) and residency requirements for these officials.

HB 1660 aimed to amend the Horizontal Property Act to regulate certain property owners associations (POAs) in Arkansas. It defined POAs as incorporated nonprofits with at least 1,000 members whose lot owners are automatically members and pay for shared services, including those traditionally provided by local governments like road or water maintenance. The bill mandated that all financial records of a POA be available for examination by co-owners. Additionally, it allowed for POAs that provide local government-like services to be subject to review by Arkansas Legislative Audit, pending approval from the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.

HB 1790 proposed changes to how local governments regulate short-term rentals (like Airbnb properties). The bill aimed to amend existing laws governing these rentals but was amended (Amendment No. 1) before failing to pass. It did not become law, as it died on the House Calendar after failing on third reading on April 8, 2025. The bill directly affected local governments and property owners operating short-term rentals within their jurisdictions. No concrete policy changes were enacted through this legislation.

HB 1912 aimed to change how real property is assessed for taxation in Arkansas. The bill proposed to reduce the "assessed value" of real property from 20% to 15% of its appraised value. This change would have affected how county assessors determine the assessed value of real property, especially after a transfer of title. If enacted, these provisions would have applied to assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, impacting property owners.