The Pulaski County Quorum Court unanimously passed its 2021 budget Tuesday night.
Budget committee members have been working on department budgets since Oct. 8 over five meetings and submitted the completed budget to the full Quorum Court on Nov. 19. Tuesday's vote to pass it was 14-0, with Justice of the Peace Barry Jefferson absent.
Committee chairman Donna Massey said she feels confident about the budget and thankful that committee members were able to work together on it.
"I know that what we're facing -- we don't know what we're going to be facing -- the first part of the year in regards to the effects of the pandemic, but the projections look hopeful that we may do some things that we did not do this past budget, which is give employees raises," Massey said.
Comptroller Mike Hutchens told budget committee members that they would not be able to confidently give employees raises without revenue from the currently shut-down courts.
The budget committee members concluded last week that no county employee or elected official would currently get a raise, but that they would look at the budget again in the spring to see if a raise would be possible then.
"If we find a way to open the courts back up again, that would be a great thing, but if they don't, I think it's in our best interest to keep everyone safe and continue doing what we're doing," Massey said.
On Nov. 12, Justice of the Peace Phil Stowers initially held up the sheriff's office budget because of proposed increases in it, but he ultimately supported it after he said he realized the affordability of the increases and how much less the department was asking for than it had previously.
"There were some minimal increases in the sheriff's budgets that we took them to task and made them justify," Stowers said. "I felt that they came back with some sound justifications for what they asked for, and I heard the [county] judge loud and clear at the beginning of the meeting tonight."
At the meeting's outset, County Judge Barry Hyde expressed his desire to give county employees raises. Stowers echoed that desire.
"I wish we could have given our employees an increase," Stowers said. "It cost a little over half a million dollars for a 1% raise."
Massey and Stowers described the budget as conservative.
"We've always budgeted conservatively, at least in my 16 years here, and I would say 14 to 15 of those years would be with the current comptroller," Stowers said. "He's really always shot us very straight but a little conservative on the revenue projection side to make sure we don't overshoot."