BENTONVILLE -- Benton County has a $660,000 shortfall in its 2016 budget, according to Brenda Guenther, comptroller, even before considering raises for employees or the cost of new personnel.
Guenther told the Budget Committee on Thursday the proposed budget for the departments paid from the general and road funds includes about $4.6 million in capital requests. The budget also reflects a transfer of $800,000 into the special capital reserve fund, which the justices of the peace have designated for larger capital projects, such buildings or bridges. The shortfall also takes into account an $800,000 transfer from the recorders cost fund, which is money received by the Circuit Clerk's Office for recording real estate documents.
Benton County budget
Benton County’s justices of the peace have three more Budget Committee meetings scheduled as they continue their work on the 2016 budget. The committee is set to meet at 5 p.m. Nov. 16, at 5 p.m. Nov. 23 and at 5 p.m. Dec. 3. All of the meetings are to be held in the Quorum Courtroom at the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville.
Source: Staff report
Tom Allen of District 4 and chairman of the committee, said he wants information on the capital reserve fund and its general fund reserve available when the panel begins looking at personnel costs at its next meeting. The committee held a review session Thursday for the county clerk, circuit clerk, collector, assessor, treasurer, Quorum Court, Health Department, circuit courts, district courts, prosecutor, public defender, coroner, juvenile probation and several smaller budgets.
Thursday's meeting was meant to wrap up the committee's work on individual budget requests for elected officials and departments. The Dive Team and Emergency Medical Service budget remain to be considered. The initial budget requests include equipment and other capital expenses, but not new personnel costs or raises. The justices of the peace will consider those issues as they move into working on the budget as a whole when the panel meets Monday.
Allen said the committee will consider raises first when it resumes its work, with new personnel requests after raises. The committee will then have to consider cuts to balance the 2016 budget.
Guenther said Thursday the revenue for the general and road funds is expected to grow $2.1 million to more than $53 million in 2016. Guenther said initial budget requests for the departments paid for by the general fund and road fund total about $51.4 million.
Guenther said the property tax revenue for 2016 should be about $450,000 more than 2015. Guenther said the Collector's Office estimates $19.9 million in property tax revenue this year. Property tax revenue for 2016 is projected at $20,255,828.
Guenther said sales tax revenue for 2015 should be about $8 million, which is around $700,000 more than budgeted. The Quorum Court approved its 2015 budget with no increase in sales tax revenue and the 2016 budget projection is also flat, with sales tax revenue for 2016 at $8 million.
Guenther said total revenue for the general fund should be about $41.8 million for 2016, up from $41.5 million in 2015. Road fund revenue also is expected to grow, with the net road fund revenue in 2016 estimated at $10.8 million, up from about $9.7 million in 2015. Guenther estimated the total revenue for the general and road funds will grow from $51.2 million in 2015 to an estimated $53.9 million in 2016.
The county is also projecting a substantial increase in the jail fees it collects from the state for holding state prisoners in the jail until they can be transferred to a prison. The county also collects some fees from cities for holding offenders in the jail. The county budgeted for $1.5 million in jail fees for 2015 and Guenther estimated the 2015 revenue will be more than $3 million.
NW News on 11/13/2015