Bentonville city leaders — unlike decades of civic ostriches in LR — understand that growth, though welcome, costs money. So they have added police, park and library impact fees (imagine, somebody understands that more people means longer library checkout lines) and are considering upping existing fire and water impact fees, too. Is Bentonville growing? Duh. And Little Rock, which says impact fees impede growth and has resisted them historically? Not so much. A pending look at assessing charges for major road construction in developing areas will be a test of whether Little Rock directors are prepared to come into the light.

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