LITTLE ROCK — Little Rock officials are taking City Hall’s 2011 budget on the road to tell residents about what the $134.4 million spending plan means for them and the capital city.
Monday night’s public presentation is the first of four scheduled next week. The first stop is 6 p.m. at the Southwest Community Center at 6401 Base Line Road.
On Tuesday, city officials will present the proposed budget at 5 p.m. at the Dunbar Community Center, 1001 W. 16th St. Then they will go to the Northwest Police Substation, 10001 Kanis Road, for a 7 p.m. presentation.
City officials have added west Little Rock to the tour this year, with a 7 p.m. presentation Thursday at the Roosevelt Thompson Library, 38 Rahling Circle. City directors are expected to vote on the plan Dec. 7.
In the city’s 2011 spending plan:
A guaranteed 4 percent raise for members of the city’s fire, police and nonuniformed employee unions, which agreed to forgo contracted raises this year because of the city’s financial situation. Nonunion employees will be eligible for 4 percent merit raises.
Keeping more than 150 jobs vacant next year to create $5.5 million in savings. The exact number of jobs to be kept vacant isn’t known, but as of the end of August, the city saved $4.4 million in its general fund by keeping 128 positions vacant. Another 68 jobs in non-general-fund departments were also vacant. The city anticipates ending 2010 with $6.4 million in vacancy savings.
A $704,908 increase in the city’s Central Arkansas Transit Authority payment. The city’s share of the regional transit budget will be $6.6 million next year.
Continued funding for cutting weed lots, demolishing unsafe structures, and renting additional jail beds in Faulkner and Grant counties. The city also expects to spend $2.5 million on programs aimed at keeping children out of trouble.
$200,000 for homeless outreach services and $200,000 on its economic development contract with the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The proposed budget, a 3.1 percent increase over 2010’s $130.4 million spending plan, does not include money for buying new police cars or other capital expenses.
About 63 percent of the city’s budget - a combined $85.5 million - is for Police and Fire Department expenses.
On the revenue side, the 2011 budget includes increases at city golf courses, including a $1 increase in electric cart fees, a 50-cent increase in beer prices and a 50-cent surcharge on credit-card transactions. The city also is using $50,000 from proceeds of the Little Rock Marathon and $50,000 from the Jim Dailey Fitness and Aquatic Center to fill in a gap in the $2.7 million golf budget.
There are no plans to cut hours at the fitness center or pool in 2011 as the city did this year to cut costs.
City Manager Bruce Moore anticipates the city collecting $128.9 million in revenue next year. Little Rock will cover the gap by transferring $3.4 million from other department funds and carrying over $2 million in franchise fee, sales tax and vacancy savings revenue.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 11/27/2010