TONTITOWN -- Tontitown aldermen changed how two positions -- fire and police chief -- are paid during a special City Council meeting Tuesday.
"I wanted to fix it where these guys would get paid correctly," Mayor Jack Beckford said.
The most recent change to the budget comes just as newly elected aldermen and a new mayor prepare to be sworn in Jan. 6. Several city and newly elected officials have said they are concerned about the upward trend of spending in Tontitown.
Aldermen agreed Dec. 2 to divide the police and fire chief position into two but didn't alter from which accounts the positions were paid. Formerly, as a single position, the chief was paid partly from the Fire and Police department budgets, Beckford said.
The change means Police Chief Kristopher Arthur and Fire Chief Lance Secor will be paid out of the Police and Fire department funds, respectively. Beckford said the alteration doesn't increase pay but allocates salaries to the right place.
Arthur earned a combined fire and police chief income of $54,541, according to the earlier 2015 budget. The amended budget approved Tuesday puts his salary at $54,536, before benefits.
The salary for Secor went from the $42,271 he earned as assistant fire chief to $54,545 as chief, according to the amended budget.
Recorder-Treasurer Alicia Collins didn't attend Tuesday's meeting.
Alderman Joe Edgmon abstained from voting on the amended budget Tuesday. He said he thought splitting the position into two would save money, not cost more. Edgmon said he wasn't ready to increase spending even though a budget must be approved.
Alderwoman-elect Rhonda Doudna said the amendment shows an increase to salaries, but salaries declined some in other areas of the budget, she said.
The city has about $500,000 in reserve, but if something goes wrong, that money could be depleted quickly, Edgmon said.
"They think we have money in the bank right now, but that can change," Edgmon said.
Problems with anything from a bridge needing repair to water and sewer lines needing to be replaced could eat up reserve, Edgmon said. Tontitown needs to cut spending by $200,000 to $400,000, he said.
That could mean more contract services instead of full-time employees, for example, Edgmon said. Doudna said previously cuts could include pay freezes for employees.
"We've got to be careful about getting into fixed costs with employees going forward," Edgmon said. "It's just not a very good idea to be increasing salaries."
At least one position, a code officer, hasn't been filled but is budgeted for next year, documents show. Assistant fire chief also remains in the budget, but no one is filling the position.
Doudna said she plans to go over the budget once she takes her seat.
The budget must be evaluated, said Henry Piazza, alderman.
"You can jostle the numbers around all you want, but if you don't got the money, you don't got the money," Piazza said.
About $1 million is budgeted next year for salaries and benefits. That's up from about $986,000 in the budget approved earlier this month, city documents show.
NW News on 12/31/2014