Proposed Benton County budget moves along to Quorum Court for approval

Staff Report

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's Committee of the Whole on Tuesday night unanimously agreed to move the proposed 2019 budget to the Quorum Court for approval.

The Budget Committee crafted the $56.2 million budget in a series of meetings last month and voted to move it to the Committee of the Whole at its Nov. 5 meeting.

"After a rocky start, the budget process went fairly quickly," Justice of the Peace Tom Allen said on Nov. 13. "The budget includes most all of the capital requests, but some concessions were made."

Some highlights of the proposed budget include:

• A surplus of $207,570, according to data provided by Brenda Guenther, the county comptroller.

• Three-percent merit raises for employees, but the raises will not be for employees who are paid at maximum levels. The county has 20 or 21 employees who have reached the maximum level in regard to their salaries, Guenther previously said. Those employees' salaries will be reviewed next year. Elected officials will be allowed to give up to 5 percent increases.

• Adding an additional Sheriff's Office deputy and van for a work crew dedicated for misdemeanor prisoners. The plan could help ease jail overcrowding, Sheriff Shawn Holloway said.

• Adding a body scanner at the jail. Jail Capt. Jeremy Guyll requested the scanner in the two previous budget cycles, but it didn't make the cut either time. The money will come from an account from the jail instead of from the general fund.

• Money for the part-time division at the Sheriff's Office. Holloway wants to hire 30 part-time deputies, who are certified law enforcement officers from other departments who need additional work.

• Adding another deputy prosecutor for the Prosecutor's Office. Nathan Smith, the county prosecutor, said at a Budget Committee meeting the office filed 1,928 felony cases in 2014 and 2,497 such cases in 2017. The office is on track to file 2,700 felony cases this year and handle another 2,300 misdemeanor cases. The county has 19 deputy prosecutors.

• The Road Department will get $2,592,000 in capital requests. The department will receive four graders and four dump trucks, along with several other pieces of equipment. The department has estimated the county will receive $735,000 from selling the old equipment.

The Quorum Court will meet at 6 p.m. Nov. 27.