Benton County officials begin budget work

The Benton County Courthouse.
The Benton County Courthouse.

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County officials aim to keep 2019 spending levels as close to 2018 as possible because they have several expensive projects under consideration or underway.

"We've started working internally on the numbers," said County Judge Barry Moehring, who has the Road Department, Emergency Management, Planning Division and other administrative offices in his budget. "The guidance that has been sent out from the Quorum Court is to keep the budgets flat, with the possibility of a 2 percent raise, to begin with. Then we, as elected officials, will present what we believe are exceptions to that."

County budget

State law requires Arkansas counties to approve budgets for 2019 before the end of 2018. Benton County’s Quorum Court will hold a series of budget meetings from the end of September through November to develop a budget for approval in December.

Source: Staff report

Brenda Guenther, comptroller, said the county's major revenue sources -- property taxes and sales taxes -- are both likely to increase from 2018 to 2019. Guenther said the county budgeted about $22 million in property tax revenue for 2018 and early estimates are that will grow by about 4 percent for 2019.

Guenther said the county budgeted for $8.9 million in sales tax revenue for 2018. The county received unusually large sales tax receipts early in 2018 and has set aside about $1 million to cover the possibility some of that money may be subject to rebates.

State law gives merchants up to a year to request rebates of sales taxes paid in excess of certain amounts for qualifying projects, including large new construction or expansion projects. The state doesn't identify the source of the sales taxes disbursed or the amounts paid by individual businesses.

"We should have between $9 million and $9.5 million that doesn't include the money we've set aside," Guenther said.

Elected officials and department heads have been asked to submit budget requests by Friday. A meeting of the Job Evaluation and Salary Administration Policy Committee, which grades new personnel requests, is set for Sept. 17. The Personnel Committee will meet Sept. 18 to review new requests and make a recommendation to the Budget Committee.

Tom Allen, justice of the peace for District 4 and chairman of the Budget Committee, said the justices of the peace have several major expenses influencing the 2019 budget. He said the county is in good shape, financially.

"But we do have some issues with increased expenses due to some extraordinary new opportunities we've not had before," he said.

Allen said the Quorum Court has to set aside some money in 2019 for architectural and engineering work on a new courts building. The proposal is set to go to a vote in March after the Quorum Court settles on a funding plan for the $30 million building.

The county could have some construction costs in 2019 as well if the funding plan is approved, he said.

Allen said the county also has to allow for payments on about $2.5 million in new election equipment that was bought in 2018. If a new radio system for the Sheriff's Office and other departments is also approved, he said, the Quorum Court will have to consider how to cover another $5 million to pay for that project.

NW News on 09/01/2018

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