FAYETTEVILLE -- The Washington County Road Department plans to ask the Quorum Court for about $1 million more than last year, even as the department is projected to leave $1.9 million unused in this year's budget, records show.
"They definitely have to prove the need, but they also have to prove they can do (their planned projects) within in a year," said Justice of the Peace Eva Madison, a Democrat representing north-northeastern Fayetteville. "If they have that much extra money, it should go back to general purposes."
Superintendent Charles Ward said the Road Department needs roughly $1 million more next year to buy heavy equipment to maintain and repair roads. The projected amount the department won't use this year is partly because of delays from equipment breaking down, he said.
The request raises the Road Department's proposed budget from about $9 million spent this year to $10.6 million budgeted to spend next year, records show. That's about 17 percent of the county's roughly $62 million total budget.
The amount the Road Department is requesting for equipment also is about the same as what the Quorum Court transferred from a Road Department savings fund and to the unrestricted, unappropriated reserve at the end of last year.
The Quorum Court cannot keep taking money from the Road Department and expect quality roads, Ward said.
But Madison said she worries the Road Department -- even if its request is fully funded -- doesn't have the capability to do the work within one year. Other justices of the peace are questioning what projects are being completed and what plans the Road Department has.
"I want them to use the money wisely, and I want them to use it for the construction of roads and bridges and take care of what they've got," said Justice of the Peace Robert Dennis, a Republican representing part of the western side of the county that includes Farmington.
Dennis has never seen a Road Department plan showing what projects are a priority or lays out what has been completed so far, he said. Madison said no plan exists.
George Butler, the county judge's chief of staff, said he hadn't yet talked with Ward, but he knew work on Orr Road Bridge is planned for next year. The span, built in 1924, crosses the Illinois River, but is structurally deficient and closed. The bridge is about half a mile south of Arkansas 265, near the Hogeye community.
Ward said he's working on a 2017 road plan, but the plan wasn't available by Friday.
Comptroller Ashley Farber said the Road Department will have a letter explaining its needs included for justices of the peace. That letter wasn't available Friday.
"For the size of their budget, I think they should be telling us: 'This is what we are going to do,'" Madison said.
Less Service
The department has dedicated money other departments don't have access to -- money the public and Quorum Court don't know how is being spent, said Justice of the Peace Sue Madison, a Democrat representing south-southeastern Fayetteville.
"I have a serious problem with dedicated revenue," Madison said.
Earmarking money to a department "removes the public scrutiny," she said.
The department historically has received 40 percent of a 1-cent sales tax voters passed in the 1980s. The Quorum Court passed a resolution at the time laying out for voters how the money would be split -- that split included money for the Road Department, library and jail, Eva Madison said.
Last year, the Quorum Court effectively reduced the amount going to the Road Department to 23 percent. This year's request puts the Road Department's part of the tax back at 40 percent.
If the Road Department's proposed 2017 budget is approved, the department will be spending heavily from money it gets from the 1-cent county tax, Farber said. Only about $143,000 will be left in its reserve, which is basically like a savings account within the department's budget, Farber said.
The fact the Road Department had carryover money this year also isn't unusual, Farber said.
The department had $341,724 left in 2014 and $311,582 in 2015, Farber said. That money helps the county with projected carryover revenue next year, she said.
Several other departments -- including the Treasurer's and Judge's offices -- also have money left unspent in their budgets, Farber said. The Sheriff's Office had $489,098 left over last year, for example, she said.
Benton County's Road Department, with a roughly $15 million budget this year, doesn't have left over money at the end of the year, said Brenda Guenther, comptroller. The department spends the money budgeted, she said.
Butler said last year he worried the move that effectively reduced the tax split would become permanent. He said Thursday he still is worried about the impact reducing the tax will have on the Road Department.
Without the equipment, roadwork will slow, projects will be delayed or never started and roads will deteriorate, Ward said.
"If you continually neglect the road, it's going to continually get worse and worse," Ward said. "Can (we) operate on a lesser budget? Yes, we can -- we just provide less service."
Under the Bridge
Residents have been calling justices of the peace and complaining about their roads, Dennis and Eva Madison said.
Farber said the request by the Road Department indicates plans to take on more projects in 2017. But, justices of the peace said they want to know specifics.
Madison said she has heard about the department widening and grading dead-end roads, faded signs that aren't replaced and roads where the department never goes. Dennis said residents call him routinely about roads, particularly over a bridge residents can't cross when it floods.
Road projects were postponed after construction flaws were found in two bridges in 2014, Dennis said. The Road Department has faced strong controversy since then.
Roads are being worked on, but Dennis said he wondered why some roads aren't being paved to save money long term -- especially when there's money left in the budget.
The controversy over bridges isn't the problem now, said Sue Madison.
"The bridge fiasco is kind of water under the bridge," she said.
Now, justices of the peace have another tight-budget year to worry about, Madison said. The county has about $2 million more in expenditures than is expected in revenue next year, according to a previous, preliminary report.
At the same time, the Quorum Court approved this month pay raises for employees countywide at a cost of about $1.5 million. County Judge Marilyn Edwards is considering a proposal for the employee insurance plan that has the county increasing its contribution to the plan to offset costs to employees, said Justice of the Peace Joel Maxwell, a Republican representing western Washington County.
Several capital projects, including sealing a parking deck for about $350,000, are also proposed.
Some justices of the peace are talking about increasing the millage rate from 3.9 mills to 4.4 mills to pay for needs, but Sue Madison said increasing the rate will be difficult.
Eva Madison said the tax split between the general fund and the Road Department should be revisited. The money could be used for other needs, she said.
"I think it's going to be very, very hard for us to raise the millage," Sue Madison said. "Some people look at that as a simple solution, (but) here we have a Road Department with a surplus turning money back."
NW News on 09/26/2016