The tourism industry is one of Arkansas’s greatest assets. Goals of the A&P Commission include attracting visitors to the community through the creation and promotion of events, attractions and tourism-related activities and to enhance the city’s overall quality of life, through the development of community parks and other recreational facilities.

Projects Funded by A&P

The Advertising & Tourism Promotion tax (referred to as the ‘A&P’ tax), was established by Searcy City Ordinance No. 2019-08 on March 12, 2019. and levied a:

1 percent (1%) tax on prepared food and non-alcoholic beverage sold by restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, delicatessens, drive-in restaurants, carry-out restaurants, convenience stores, grocery store restaurants, and any other, similar, business in Searcy engaged in the selling of prepared food and beverages for on- or off-premises consumption.
3 percent (3%) tax on the portion of the gross receipts or gross proceeds received from the renting, leasing or otherwise furnishing of hotel, motel, or short-term rental accommodations for sleeping, meeting, or party room facilities, cabins, cottages, bed and breakfasts, camp grounds, for profit but excluding any such rental or lease of any such accommodation for periods of thirty (30) days or more.

Prepared food is any food item that is altered by quantity or content:

any food item that is cooked on the premises by the establishment for sale to a customer
a fountain drink would be subject to the tax, whereby a can of soft drink would not
a pre-packaged bag of nacho chips/potato chips would not be taxed, however, an onpremises prepared serving of nachos (cheese and nacho chips) would be

Although this is a city tax, state laws govern the makeup of the A&P Commission and set forth guidelines for any expenditure of the funds collected. Payment of the tax is made directly to the City of Searcy A&P, and any expenditure must be approved by the A&P Commission.