The Right Thing (Editorial)

The members of the Little Rock Technology Park Authority Board last week agreed to file financial disclosure forms.

The concession came after requests by residents of areas under consideration for the new technology park. Some residents have voiced the fear that board members may have conflicts of interest that could sway their decision-making.

Board Chairman Mary Good noted that members weren’t legally required to file such forms and that the board didn’t yet know where the voluntary forms would be filed.

An argument could be made that requiring financial disclosures from citizens already volunteering their time for what they see as the good of the community is overly onerous. But we’re not going to make that argument.

When Little Rock officials sought approval of a 1 percentage point increase in the sales tax, they promised skeptical residents the city would be responsive and accountable. That promise extends to the $22 million the tax will raise for the Little Rock Technology Park.

We are hopeful that the board members have the best interests of the entire city in mind, but it’s beyond doubt that there is doubt, particularly among residents of the three neighborhoods in play as sites for the park. Filing financial disclosure forms will go a long way to alleviating residents’ worries. When making decisions using other people’s money and affecting other people’s lives, more transparency cannot be a bad thing.

In Other News
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock last week dedicated its $15 million 50,500-SF nanotechnology center.

The Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences helps put the state at the forefront of potentially world-shaking research.

With the center, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and other advances, Arkansas is working its way toward leadership in both the arts and the sciences. And that’s very good news.