The Pulaski County Quorum Court approved spending $1 million on infrastructure projects at a Tuesday meeting, including $80,000 for security cameras outside of the county's downtown Little Rock offices.
The expenditures are part of $1.7 million the county received that was more than what it budgeted for in 2014. The county's 2014 budget was $63.6 million. For 2015, it's $65.2 million, not including the expenditures approved Tuesday.
The remaining money would go into the general fund, the emergency reserve fund, and the capital maintenance and technology reserve fund.
Other than security cameras, the expenditures approved Tuesday include $500,000 for a new phone system and up to $250,000 for property on the southeast corner of Second and Spring streets, across the street from the county administration building.
Justices of the peace approved the use of the money 13-0, with District 2 Justice of the Peace Tyler Denton, D-Little Rock, and District 10 Justice of the Peace Robert Green, D-McAlmont, absent from the meeting.
District 13 Justice of the Peace Phil Stowers, R-Maumelle, has said the amount of carryover funds -- the extra revenue taken in over what was budgeted -- has been a comfortable margin and the result of conservative budgeting.
Stowers has emphasized building up the county's reserves, which are used in emergencies.
"We're thankful the comptroller isn't here asking for $1.7 million from reserves," he said Tuesday.
District 5 Justice of the Peace Lillie McMullen, D-Little Rock, asked Comptroller Mike Hutchens about the need for the security cameras.
Hutchens said some incidents have occurred in the parking lots outside of the county administration building and prosecuting attorney's office, including one in which several cars were vandalized with spray paint.
"The employees would feel better, I think, if they had eyes on them," he said.
District 8 Justice of the Peace Curtis Keith, D-Mabelvale, asked how the cameras would be monitored.
Hutchens said some of the camera feeds would be sent to the information technology department, some to the county's security guard desk and some to his own office.
Hutchens said if he saw something alarming on the camera feed, he would call an officer on the radio system and request a check on the situation.
Justices of the peace did not discuss other expenditures. Hutchens and Barry Hyde, county judge of Pulaski County, have said previously that the new phone system replaces a problematic system more than 20 years old.
The $250,000 maximum for the purchase of property at Second and Spring streets would be immediately used to expand parking for county employees by 50 spaces and may be used in the future as an expansion of county offices.
A building stands on that property today, Hutchens said, but it's not up to code and would have to be demolished.
Metro on 02/26/2015