Holiday Island's FutureA community conversation

What's next, and when

This timeline follows the September 22, 2026 Long Range Plan endorsed by the City Council and the HISID Board of Commissioners. In the Long Range Plan's words, "The City will assume 100% of road maintenance responsibility starting in 2027." The later phases are also planned under the Long Range Plan, and each depends on steps still ahead: a vote, petitions, budgets, a bond payoff and legal work. Jump to what the November 3 vote decides →

  1. 2026

    Long Range Plan

    EndorsedVote pending
    • September 22, 2026: City/HISID Long Range Plan released, endorsed by the City Council and the HISID Board of Commissioners.
    • October 2026: public input period, including public meetings.
    • November 3, 2026: voters decide a proposed 2.5% City sales tax. The plan ties what happens after roads to this result.
    • By year end: HISID plans to dedicate the remaining roads, about 55 miles, to the City and transfer the road department's assets.1

  2. 2027 · Phase 1

    Roads

    Endorsed · Starting 2027Budget not yet final
    • January 1, 2027: the City assumes 100% of road maintenance responsibility.
    • HISID's assessment is expected to decrease because road expenses move to the City. The amount will be determined in the budgeting process.

  3. 2027/28 · Phase 2

    Water & Sewer

    Planned under the Long Range PlanAfter sewer bond is retired
    • Potential transfer to the City once the sewer bond is retired. The bond is scheduled to run to October 2031, but the plan says reserves could potentially retire it as early as 2027 or 2028.
    • When the loan is paid, the assessment would drop by $54.251 and the Sewer Debt charge would come off water bills.

  4. 2028 · Phase 3

    Public Safety & Fire

    Planned under the Long Range PlanSubject to petition
    • Planned move of the fire department into a Department of Public Safety Urban Service District that would also cover policing.
    • The district is formed only if enough registered voters petition for it. If the petition fails, the fire department stays with HISID.
    • Whether policing continues by Sheriff's contract or through a City police department is not settled. See Public Safety.

  5. 2029 · Phase 4

    Recreation

    Planned under the Long Range PlanFee to be set in 2029
    • Planned move of the golf courses, sports complex, marina, clubhouse grill, hiking trails and campgrounds to a Parks and Recreation Urban Service District.
    • Funded by amenity revenue plus a district fee. The fee amount is not yet determined.

  6. 2030+ · Phase 5

    HISID phase-out

    2030+No completion date
    • A longer legal and financial process: paying off debts, liquidating remaining assets, and resolving delinquent assessments and lots.
    • The plan projects no completion date. The annual assessment ends once all debts are satisfied and the district no longer needs the revenue.

Source: City of Holiday Island & HISID Long Range Plan, September 22, 2026. Full detail on each phase is on the Long Range Plan page.

How this differs from the earlier feasibility-study timeline

The May 2, 2026 feasibility study sketched a faster, illustrative schedule. The Long Range Plan replaces it. The older dates are shown here only so that earlier coverage, including earlier versions of this site, makes sense.

Earlier feasibility-study timing vs. the Long Range Plan2,1
StepMay 2026 feasibility study (historical)Long Range Plan (current)
Roads20262027
Water & sewer20272027/28, after bond retirement
Public safety & fire20272028
Recreation20282029
HISID wind-downBegins 20282030+, no completion date

What the November 3 vote decides

The ballot question is a proposed 2.5% City sales tax. It is a proposal until voters approve it. It would authorize a 2.5% local sales and use tax for general fund expenses and capital improvements.3 The Long Range Plan identifies the principal reason for it as the added administrative cost the City takes on as HISID's functions move over, which the plan estimates at about $437,000 a year1.

If it passes

In the plan's words, "planning for the transition of the Water and Sewer Department and Fire Department can be started." It does not complete those transitions or guarantee them. The sewer bond still has to be retired, and the Public Safety district still needs a successful petition.

If it fails

"All future transition planning will be put on hold and remain the responsibility of HISID with no reduction on Assessment of Benefits beyond that from the Road Department transfer." The road transition on January 1, 2027 goes ahead either way.

Source: Long Range Plan, September 22, 2026, "Administrative Costs," pages 5–6.

This site's view

What follows is the site author's opinion, not the plan's. The sales tax is the one new revenue source in this framework that is shared with everyone who spends money in Holiday Island, including visitors, and not only with property owners. The earlier feasibility study estimated it would raise about $502,660 a year at today's population2, and that figure grows as the community does (see the Growth Plan). A "no" vote would leave Holiday Island with roads at the City and everything else at a district whose assessment model the plan itself projects will reach its limits. Readers who weigh it differently should still vote; the point is that this is the decision that determines whether the rest of the sequence proceeds.

How the choice was framed earlier

The May 2026 feasibility study put two options in front of the community. They are shown here as background.

Option #1 (May 2026 study): Pursue this or a similar plan. "It's better to have our plan than to have someone else's plan forced on us."

Option #2 (May 2026 study): Transition only road responsibility, then wait to see how HISID's long-term legal situation resolves on its own.

The Long Range Plan is the first option written down and endorsed. The second describes roughly where things would rest if the November 3 vote fails: roads at the City, everything else on hold at HISID. This site's author believes the first path is the better one, given the legal and financial challenges other Arkansas improvement districts have faced, even though each community's circumstances differ. That remains a decision for the community to make through votes and petitions.

How to make your voice count

Read the plan

It is eight pages. Start with this site's summary, then read the official document.

Give input in October

The City is asking for feedback on the plan during October 2026, by email, mail, its website form, and at public meetings. See how to comment.

Vote on November 3

The 2.5% sales tax question is the next decision point in the plan. Whatever you decide, make sure you are registered and that your vote is counted.

Sign when petitions circulate

An Urban Service District can only be formed if enough registered voters petition for it. If you want the Public Safety district to happen, your signature is what makes it possible.

Show up

Attend City Council and HISID Board of Commissioners meetings, where budgets, millage and each phase will be worked out in public.

Read the Long Range Plan summary → Frequently asked questions → Where did these numbers come from? →

Sources cited on this page

  1. City of Holiday Island & Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District, Long Range Plan, September 22, 2026 (Resolution 2026-015). Link
  2. Mayor Dan Kees, "Can the City Do It All?" — A Feasibility Study, presented May 2, 2026 (updated May 6, 2026). Earlier feasibility estimate, not an adopted figure. Posted on the City website under About/Contact → Services. Link
  3. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, "Arkansas Voters Have Local Ballot Issues to Decide in November Election," August 2026 (Holiday Island measure: a 2.5% local sales and use tax for general fund expenses and capital improvements, per the Carroll County Clerk). Link