Benton County Quorum Court Raises Debated

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's justices of the peace have nearly finished work on the 2015 budget and expect to complete the job Tuesday.

The Finance Committee left a pair of unanswered questions to be discussed at the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday.

The panel split 3-3 on raises for the justices of the peace. Voting in favor were Kurt Moore, Steve Curry and Michelle Chiocco. Voting against were Jay Harrison, Tom Allen and Barry Moehring.

The proposal would raise the pay for justices of the peace who attend Quorum Court and Committee of the Whole meetings from $175 to $200 and the pay for committee meetings from $100 to $125 for members who attend the meetings, said Brenda Guenther, comptroller.

The county has budgeted about $92,700 to pay justices of the peace, based on an estimated 33 committee meetings during the year and the monthly Committee of the Whole and Quorum Court meetings, Guenther said. The raises will cost $16,425 if approved.

Moehring offered a "friendly amendment" to the proposal to delay the raises until 2017, but his idea garnered no support. The 2017 date would allow anyone interested in serving to be aware of the pay increase before they file for the office and go through an election. He thinks it's inappropriate for the justices of the peace now serving to vote to give themselves raises.

"The issue of raises for the Quorum Court members is a fair issue," Moehring said. "My objection is the sitting Quorum Court members voting in raises for themselves."

The justices of the peace also left payment for mold removal and remediation at the Sheriff's Office unsettled. Bids were delayed on work to remove mold. The bid opening is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday, four hours before the Committee of the Whole meets. County Judge Bob Clinard said he'll have information on the bids, but the county may not have completed the review process or selected a contractor.

"We had eight companies show up for the pre-bid conference so I hope we're going to get at least four or five bids," Clinard said. "As soon as I get the bids, which should be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, that will give us a range on the cost. I'll have some information for the committee. We'll at least have a bracket so we can put something in the budget if that's what they want to do."

Work to seal the exteriorof the building has been completed Clinard said Thursday. Moisture penetrating the walls led to mold and other microbial growth in the building, he said. The county has to make sure the exterior sealing is maintained regularly once the microbial growth is removed and the interior restored, he said.

The county has money available in reserve and in the capital projects fund that could be used to cover the cost of the work, so amending the 2015 budget might not be necessary Tuesday, Guenther said.