Town Hall · Fort Smith

Fort Smith, AR town hall & government

Fort Smith spent $237.4 million in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,638 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Fort Smith's government.

Local leadership

Who runs Fort Smith

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Fort Smith's money goes

Spent
$237.4 million
fiscal year to December 31, 2024
Per resident
$2,638
typical Arkansas cities: $1,925
Long-term debt
$184.9 million
$2,055 per resident
Roads & transportation
$60.9 million26%
Water & other utilities
$44.3 million19%
Sewer & trash
$41.2 million17%
Police
$22.3 million9%
Fire
$20 million8%
Parks & libraries
$19.9 million8%
Administration & buildings
$5.4 million2%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$2.1 million1%
Housing & development
$1.5 million1%
Health & welfare
$133,000<1%
Interest on debt
$79,000<1%
Other
$19.6 million8%

Where the money comes from

  • Sales taxes 25%
  • Fees & charges 19%
  • From the state 16%
  • Utility sales 10%
  • From the federal government 9%
  • From other local governments 9%
  • Interest, fines & other 6%
  • Property taxes 6%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Fort Smith

Full-time staff
994
11 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$72,300
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
152
and 151 full-time firefighters
Police
194 full-time1 part
Sewer & trash
186 full-time
Water & other utilities
181 full-time
Fire
156 full-time
Roads & transportation
114 full-time
Administration & buildings
58 full-time10 part
Parks & libraries
34 full-time
Courts, inspections & corrections
23 full-time
Housing & development
12 full-time
Health & welfare
8 full-time
Other
28 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Fort Smith didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Fort Smith Public Schools

Fort Smith's K–12 school district, shared with Barling. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$13,857
Arkansas: $13,585
Students
14,060
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$167.7 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Arkansas districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal

  • Local 14%
  • State 64%
  • Federal 21%

Of the $13,857 per pupil, $6,938 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Also serving Fort Smith: Greenwood School District ($11,668 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Fort Smith pay

Typical tax bill
$1,137
a year · Arkansas typical $1,040
Effective rate
0.64%
of home value · Arkansas 0.55%
Typical home value
$178,100
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Fort Smith's government

🏛️ Official websitefortsmithar.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Fort Smith →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Fort Smith

Fort Smith is represented in Congress by Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton and Representative Steve Womack. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is governor.

All of Fort Smith's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Fort Smith

Arkansas · AR
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01