pride and economic development. “Much of the ESSER funds that we had were spent locally,” Dr. Smith notes, stimulating the economy. With the state’s new starting teacher salary of $50,000, the district has improved living standards despite inflation. Dr. Smith explains the focus on reinvesting: “We need to not hoard money as a school system but put it to work in our people’s hands.” ADDRESSING THE HOUSING CHALLENGE Residential development in Mena faces the same obstacles many communities grapple with: high interest rates and skyrocketing material costs. Mayor Smith acknowledges that these factors have slowed local construction efforts. “We have one residential contractor with a subdivision laid out with the infrastructure work done, but only one house has been built so far,” he says. The demand is there, but the rising cost of building has made progress difficult. The contractor is holding off on additional homes until he can sell the remaining lots, a common trend in the current housing market. To better understand how the city can address this challenge, a local group is preparing to launch a housing study. “They’re in the very early stages of starting that next month,” the mayor explains. The study will assess the types of housing Mena needs most—whether that’s traditional three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes or smaller, more affordable options like apartments or two-bedroom units. 9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 10 MENA, AR
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