Q: How do you raise taxes without raising taxes?

A: By sending out misleading "notices."

SPRINGDALE -- City residents will be receiving an ad valorem tax notice from the city next week, but it's a volunteer tax.

The notices ask Springdale residents to pay voluntary taxes to support the fire department and the Springdale library.

Note to Springdale: if they're voluntary, they're not taxes. Even if you try to deceive taxpayers into thinking they have to pay them.