LITTLE ROCK — Little Rock city directors passed a $158.6 million budget Tuesday night without any discussions or changes to the spending plan that was revealed earlier this month.
“I think myself and the manager put together a budget that reflects the commitments and promises we made to the voters in the sales-tax campaign,” Mayor Mark Stodola said afterward about why he thought the budget passed without comment from city directors or the public.
Next year will see the return of dozens of jobs, long frozen to help balance the city’s budget that took a dive along with the economy. The city had to lay off another two dozen employees at the start of 2010.
Although the city is in a different situation now, officials don’t anticipate any rebound next year in the sales of goods, which feeds the city’s sales tax, its main source of funding.
The only revenue growth is coming from a 1 percentage-point sales-tax increase voters approved in September that will boost revenue to the point the city can add 57 new jobs.
The new jobs will range from a full-time veterinarian for the zoo to 15 maintenance workers for the Parks Department. Along with the new hires, the budget includes filling 102 positions, including 32 vacant police officer jobs and eight codesenforcement positions.
Little Rock is adding 12 new officers to its Community Oriented Policing program, made up of officers who are stationed at alert centers or are out on bicycle patrols. The city expects to have two recruiting classes next year to fill all of the police positions that the new sales tax will fund.
Overall, the city expects to spend $111.6 million on staffing next year, an $11.2 million increase over 2011 after new salaries, 3 percent pay increases and benefits are figured in.
Another $10.2 million will be spent on 11 outside agencies. That funding includes $7.5 million for bus and River Rail operations by the Central Arkansas Transit Authority and $1.46 million for the county jail. The outside support also includes $300,000 in support for the Arkansas Arts Center, and $200,000 contributions to the Chamber of Commerce and Museum of Discovery.
At $158.6 million, the budget is 18 percent higher than this year’s $134 million budget. Including Public Works and city operations funded with other revenue, the city’s total budget next year will be $219 million.
The largest chunk of the budget will be spent on public safety. Combined, the Police Department and Fire Department account for $91.3 million of the general fund budget. Along with new police officers, the city plans to hire 12 new firefighters next year. Eventually, the tax will pay for the hiring of 36 firefighters.
“It’s good to know we have the resources to move the city forward,” said Richard Morehead, president of the local International Association of Fire Fighters union, who was at the Tuesday board meeting. “We’re excited about adding 12 firefighters and building a new fire station to add protection to the city of Little Rock.”
The city’s capital expenditures budget won’t be ready until some time next year. City directors expect to have meetings in each of the seven wards to discuss spending priorities with residents. The sales-tax increase is expected to raise $196 million over the next decade, with $72 million of the money going toward street and drainage improvements.
City directors are already moving forward with one project — an $8.7 million emergency communications system is on the board’s agenda next week for approval. Replacing the city’s 27-year-old radio system was touted throughout the salestax campaign as a major priority.
City Manager Bruce Moore said he doesn’t expect those ward meetings to start until mid-January or early February.
A residents sales-tax overview committee will likely be appointed early next month as well. Stodola said he forwarded a list of names of people who applied to serve on the committee to city directors and he hopes to make appointments Jan. 3. The list was not available Tuesday night.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 12/14/2011