Another "UNVOTED TAX"...wake up people...the thieve's are taking your money...and desparetly tryin to devise more ways of doing so EVERYDAY

I think that the 5% tax on alcoholic drinks is too much. However, I eat at the places that sell beer with your food once or twice a month. I gripe about the 5% tax, but I can find 15-20 cents laying around on the ground most of the time when I come out of the restaurants.....which will take care of the 5% tax increase....I even find much more than that on the Wal Mart parking lots. So, live with the 5% tax on alcoholic drinks, and eat, drink and be merry. (^-^)

Well, Mr. Denton, you stopped getting my money the night I went there to eat and found out that you'd joined the booze club and that night was the last time I spent one dime in your establishment. Did you think that maybe if you'd stay true to a dry county and a family oriented restaurant that maybe you'd be doing better than you are? I say if you're gonna have "sin tax", then ALL sin needs to be taxed. In fact instead of raising 1cent or 1 1/2 cent, etc. taxes on food, I say make the drinkers pay as much tax and the smokers. Then if they don't like it, them move to Pulaski County and take your drinking restaurants with you! Thank God for Rib Crib, Abe's Old Feed House, etc. who decided to stay true to the laws of Saline County. I like Benton just the way it is. It's no different than any other town. All towns have their troubles and troubling people, this is all part of the same troubled world isn't it?

that's admirable of the mayor...I don't go into benton these days. It used to be a nice little town with nice people but lately it seems it's full of trash....the council couldn't just go with a 1% tax? they go all the way 5%? That will definitely hurt the restaurants..this government, on both the local and national level must be drinking the same water out of the stupid pond..

Cigarettes are taxed enough already!!!!! The tax they imposed on them is being wasted as it is. Raerae, I agree with you on your comment. Cities raise taxes to increase revenue to cover the budgets they pass. Each year, budgets increase, therefore taxes will increase. But, as everything else increases in price, taxes must go up as well so cities can provide services to the community. I do not disagree with taxes, unless they are used in a wasteful manner, like some are. I'd like to see a report on this so called "trauma system" that the cigarette tax is supposedly supporting. You dont hear anything about that anymore, but the tax is still around.

I live in Benton and if they really want to make some money tax cigarettes people will pay any price to smoke you hear them say when they get to $5.00 a pack im going to quit (guess what they are) and nobodys stoped it has nothing to do with how rich or poor you are or the color of your skin its an addiction its harder to quit than drugs or drinking i know because i have been there.

Story says that the mayor declined a pay raise. Benton has grown really fast and if Bentonites want to live in a modern city with all of the convenient amenities like FIRE/POLICE services, Sanitation and Sewer, Road repair and Parks and Recreation services. Someone has to pay for these services. Guess that will give all them holier than thou Bentonites a reason to shop and party where the taxes are lower, You know LIKE LITTLE ROCK....LOL

What's wrong with you people? All you want to do is TAX, TAX and more TAX! Just STOP SPENDING! You think if you tax more that will make everything ok, what about next year? What about the year after that and so on? Tax more so you can give yourselves more money and spend more. I guess that's ok to get all the people's money.