Alderman Bob Thomas, who has sat on the Cemetery Commission for the past six months, gave a brief history of the Eureka Springs cemetery at the Oct. 25 city council meeting. He pointed out when the Auditorium opened in 1929, the cemetery was already 50 years old, and more than 4000 people are buried there.
Thomas said the cemetery has operated on a shoestring budget for years. He said he had regularly walked through the cemetery and has seen past commissioners and family members on the grounds mowing the grass and cleaning up. The commission now employs two part-time employees during the warmer months to mow and maintain things, with only one during the winter.
The cemetery is one of the city’s most historical and most overlooked sites, Thomas said, suggesting that if the one percent tax passes, the city will be saving the $50,000 per year it now spends on upkeep of the Auditorium. He proposed the city dedicate $10,000 a year for the next ten years to the Cemetery Commission for capital improvements.
Berry said there would be more to discuss on this topic after the Nov. 8 election.