Benton County residents oppose industrial authority, cite eminent domain concerns

More than 60 Benton County residents and elected officials crowded into the Bella Vista Public Library on Saturday to push back on a proposed regional industrial authority, warning that the plan could shift control over land, revenue and accountability away from local communities.

Benton County Justice of the Peace Joseph Bollinger hosted the listening session ahead of the Benton County Quorum Court’s scheduled vote on Monday, April 13, on the Northwest Arkansas Regional Industrial and Technology Development Authority. Bollinger said the authority would be able to finance and build large-scale real estate projects to attract businesses and could use tax-free industrial revenue bonds. He also said that under Arkansas Act 576 of 2025, counties that create an industrial development authority could authorize eminent domain, and that board members might not have to live in Benton County after appointment and could move away during a three-year term.

Residents said those powers raised red flags about local control, accountability and the risk of private property being taken for industrial projects. Michael Kalagias of Rogers said the plan would create “another layer of government” that people could not hold accountable directly. The concerns centered on who would appoint the board, who would benefit from the development, and how much say Benton County residents would keep if the authority started assembling land for projects meant to draw outside investment.

The proposal is part of a broader regional push that would cover Benton, Washington and Madison counties. Act 576, known as the Industrial Development Authorities Expansion Act and signed into law on April 14, 2025, defines an industrial development authority as a public benefit corporation authorized by local governments to secure and develop industry and foster economic development. Supporters have argued that such authorities are meant to help Northwest Arkansas compete for capital investment and job creation, but critics have said the structure could weaken public oversight while giving appointed boards unusually broad power.

The fight has already spread beyond Benton County. Rep. Chad Puryear said on February 11 that Madison County residents had forced a similar proposal to be withdrawn there, and that Washington County had tabled the idea after hearing similar objections. The turnout in Bella Vista suggested Benton County is now facing the same hard question: who controls the land when economic development becomes a public corporation.