FARMINGTON -- Based on housing growth and development in the city, Farmington Mayor Ernie Penn says he "fully expects" the city's population to increase from just over 8,000 residents to 10,000 in the next three to five years.
Penn made the prediction as he gave the annual State of the City address during the Farmington City Council's Feb. 13 meeting.
Farmington's population was 7,584 based on the 2020 census and had grown to 8,032 by the end of 2022, according to projections from Northwest Regional Planning Commission.
One of the main reasons people are moving to Farmington is the school system, Penn said.
"Farmington continues to be a very attractive place for families to locate and send their children to school," he said, adding, "Our outstanding school and its facilities continue to be one of the most attractive features of our community."
To prepare for additional residents, Penn said the city's police and fire departments will need to continue to increase staff for added security and the city will need to continue to expand recreational facilities and trails.
Even as Penn predicted the city will grow to 10,000, he noted permits for single-family houses and multi-family units were down considerably in 2022, compared to 2021.
The city issued 126 permits for single-family houses, valued at $45 million, for 2022, compared to 429 single-family permits in 2021, a 340% reduction, Penn said.
Permits for multi-family dwellings also were down some, from 28 in 2021 to 21 in 2022, a 25% reduction.
In all, the city issued 947 permits in 2022, which includes permits for buildings, mechanical, plumbing, heat/air, compared to 1,814 total permits in 2021.
Penn attributed the reduction in building permits in 2022 to increased development and building costs, higher interest rates and inflation.
Looking back over the past year, Penn said the city completed several major capital improvement projects in 2022, including drainage improvements along Garland McKee Road to help with flooding in the Meadowsweet subdivision, rehabbing the Double Springs Road bridge (as required by the Arkansas Department of Transportation), overlay of Southwinds and Jim Brooks roads with state aid money, improvements to Bethel Blacktop Road and upgrading the size of the drainage tile on Goose Creek Road.
Revenue from city and county sales taxes continues to go up each year, and Penn said the city is financially sound with excellent cash reserves. Revenue from the city sales tax was up by 17.51%, compared to 2021, and revenue from the county sales tax increased 17.5%, compared to 2021.
For 2023, projects on tap are a new walking/biking trail and additional parking lot at Creekside Park, for an estimated $1.2 million, with most of this paid for through two grants the city received, and six street and drainage projects.
In addition, the city and state project to widen state Highway 170 should move forward in 2023, as the last of the utility lines are relocated and then the project is advertised for bids. A new water and sewer contract with the city of Fayetteville will be finalized this year, Penn said. This contract expired in April 2022.
Penn opened his address by thanking city employees for their dedication and commitment to make Farmington a better place to live.
He closed by thanking the citizens of Farmington for their continued support and encouraged them to be more involved in the community.
"God has blessed our city and we should be thankful every day for these blessings," Penn said. "I am very proud and honored to be your mayor and I look forward to a very successful and prosperous 2023 for the city of Farmington."