BENTONVILLE -- Benton County is expecting about $1 million in turnback money from the 2016 budget.
Brenda Guenther, comptroller, told the county's justices of the peace the most recent estimates show the money from unspent appropriations dropping from an estimated $1.5 million to about $1 million. Guenther said the amount will continue to fluctuate for the next two months as the county closes out its 2016 budget.
The Quorum Court's Finance Committee also heard county sales tax receipts for 2016 exceeded the budget by 2.43 percent. Guenther said the county budgeted for $8 million in sales taxes and received about $8.3 million. The county's 2017 budget projects sales taxes at $8.1 million.
The committee also approved spending another $625,000 from the health insurance fund to cover unexpected health care claims from 2016. Tom Allen, justice of the peace for District 4 and committee chairman, said the county will be reviewing its health care program to see if costs will continue to increase and if the county needs to adjust the program to cover those increases.
The justices of the peace spent about an hour before the Finance Committee meeting setting committee assignments for the 2017 term and being briefed on the state's Freedom of Information Act. George Spence, county attorney, briefed the justices of the peace on the requirements of the law as it pertains to justices of the peace and meetings of the Quorum Court and other committees.
The committee also reviewed the status of money the county has spent on flood damage repair from flooding in 2013 and 2015. County Judge Barry Moehring said the county is still waiting on money from the state and federal governments for both flooding events. Moehring said he will have a presentation for either the Committee of the Whole or the Quorum Court.
NW News on 01/06/2017