Public safety part of Bentonville 2020 budget

BENTONVILLE — The city plans to invest in public safety as part of the 2020 budget, Mayor Stephanie Orman said.

The City Council’s Committee of the Whole met Tuesday night to discuss next year’s budget. Jake Harper, director of Finance and Administration, gave a detailed presentation to the council on the general fund and several other funds.

The city wants to add 14 firefighters and two police officers, according to a letter Orman sent to the council members.

“With a growing city, properly staffing our police and fire departments should be a high priority,” Orman wrote.

The city has 96 employees on staff at the Fire Department and 115 employees on staff at the Police Department, said Debbie Griffin, city community relations and economic development director.

The city has six fire stations, and a seventh will open later this year, Griffin said.

The budget for the street overlay program will be doubled, Orman said.

The proposed budget shows $48.1 million in revenue and $49.5 million in expenses. Other general fund financing sources include $250,000 in impact/capacity fees and $1.6 million from reserve, according to city documents.

The impact fee money will go to pay for a Parks and Recreation Department project, and the $1.6 million from reserve will be used to replace three pieces of Fire Department equipment, to add a play structure at Lake Bella Vista and for improvements to Old Tiger Stadium, according to city documents.

The city is projected to have a net of $540,189.

The proposed budget also includes a 1.6% cost-of-living adjustment and a 1.4% merit raise for city employees, according to city documents.

“We are continuously striving to make decisions that are in the best interest of our city at present while also ensuring that we remain a vibrant and thriving community into the future,” Orman wrote. “This is not an easy task, but is one we are committed to and we are intentional in preparing for.”

The council will continue budget talks at another Committee of the Whole meeting Nov. 25.