Darryl Mahoney addresses HSV Questions
Garland County Judge Darryl Mahoney addresses members of the Governmental Affairs Committee. (Mary Eliades photo)
Posted Tuesday, September 15, 2026 9:52 am
By MARY ELIADES Voice correspondent
The Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) of the Hot Springs Village Property Owners Association met Sept. 4 and welcomed Garland County Judge Darryl Mahoney, who discussed the upcoming ballot initiative to renew the existing road improvement sales tax.
Mahoney said that in 2021, before the tax was implemented, the paving budget for Garland County was $1.5 million. In 2022, on receipt of the funding, it went to $10.8 million. “We went from paving five miles of road a year to 50 to 55 miles of road,” said Mahoney. “This year, we will probably hit 65, because last year we implemented something called pavement preservation.”
Since 2022, Garland County and the City of Hot Springs have completed or begun improvements on approximately 298 miles of roads and streets, and Mahoney said the funds also support bridges, drainage, pavement preservation, sidewalks, ADA-accessible ramps, and other road infrastructure.
The current tax expires June 30, 2027, and Mahoney said, “If it’s not renewed…then we will go back to that $1.5 million budget.” Renewal would continue the same rate for another five years (through June 30, 2032). The judge stressed this is not a new tax or increased rate – simply a continuation of the existing tax.
Mahoney said his team has been working with ARDOT on putting a traffic signal at Glazy Peau Road, to be paid for by county and federal funds, and, hopefully, additional funds from Mountain Valley Water. He added, “We’ve also got a big study underway right now for the West Gate of the Village to see what needs to happen there.”
POA general manager Ken Unger noted that “road systems are probably the most critical thing to a community” – connecting communities and providing first impressions – and added, “I fully support this initiative and hope our members will, too.”
Gen. Jeff Lofgren, chair of the Finance & Planning Committee, said this initiative is one instance of how Villagers can see a return on their tax dollars, and added, “It was the voters in the Village that backed this initiative [for the initial 2022 tax] that got it across the line.”
In other committee business, Rep. Richard McGrew reported that legislation initiated by the committee regarding the establishment of public services districts is still in the works. The legislation, if passed, could help the Village acquire public funds for infrastructure work.
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