Benton County officials to see personnel budget changes

The Benton County Administration Building in Bentonville.
The Benton County Administration Building in Bentonville.

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County officials say the 2019 budget process appears to be off to a good start, with just one new position requested.

"That's very unusual, but I would say it's very timely," Tom Allen, justice of the peace for District 4 and chairman of the Budget Committee, said Friday. "I think everybody is on board with the message the Quorum Court has been sending."

Budget meetings

Benton County’s justice of the peace will have their first budget meeting when the Budget Committee meets at 6 p.m. Sept. 24 in the Quorum Courtroom in the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville.

Source: Benton County

The budget process continues next week when the elected officials, meeting as the Job Evaluation and Salary Administration Program committee, gather at 2 p.m. Monday to consider personnel requests. Those requests will be considered by the Quorum Court's Personnel Committee when that panel meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Brenda Guenther, comptroller, said the bulk of the personnel requests are duty and title changes, some of which include changes in grade that could impact the budget. The new position being requested is for a new deputy public defender.

Most of the changes are in departments directed by County Judge Barry Moehring. Moehring said he's continuing to work toward a goal he had when he took office.

"It's always been my goal to maximize efficiencies and savings," Moehring said. "At the same time, I think we need to take care of the people we have who are doing the work. Those changes we are asking for still result in saving for the bottom line."

The Quorum Court has asked officials to bring in flat budgets, with no increases in spending on personnel or operations above the 2018 budget.

The justices of the peace also said they'll begin work on the budget with a goal of having 2 percent employee raises. Moehring said he thinks the county can and should do more for employees.

"I am going to bring forward and advocate for raises of at least 3 percent," he said. "If we're able to increase our efficiency, I think the employees should be rewarded for that."

Allen said the county has a number of projects that will affect the 2019 budget. The county will begin paying for about $2.5 million in voting equipment in 2019, along with $3.75 million for a radio system.

Costs will increase if the county chooses to buy a records management system to complement the radio system and to buy radios to assist some of the smaller police and fire departments using the county system.

Finally, Allen said, the county has to set aside some money for the planned $30 million courts building.

"We won't know until March whether the election on the courts will be successful," Allen said. "I think we have to be prudent and put some money for the courts building into next year's budget."

Joel Jones, justice of the peace for District 7, said he thinks the Quorum Court will proceed carefully in light of the large expenses Allen outlined.

"We always say it's going to be a tough budget year, but I really think this is going to be one of the tougher or more interesting years we've had," Jones said.

"We have to find $1 million somewhere for the radio system, and there's $500,000 on the dock for the voting equipment. We've asked the elected officials to come in flat on personnel and operating expenses and they have so far. I think any new personnel and capital requests are going to be highly questioned."

NW News on 09/15/2018

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