Council examines budget, grant funds at work session

The Bella Vista City Council got its first look at the 2021 budget and discussed a potential $1 million windfall from Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES act funds.

Mayor Peter Christie said a Nov. 30 work session is scheduled to give the council a chance for a more in-depth look at a more complete version of the budget proposal and to give feedback, and a final version of the budget is likely to be passed during the Dec. 14 regular meeting.

The proposed 2021 budget currently projects $16,856,912 in revenues, a 5% increase over projections for 2020.

The proposal also calls for a total of $16,092,418 in operating expenditures with $2,541,141 in capital expenditures, for a total spend of $18,633,559, using all projected revenue and $1,776,647 of reserve funds.

Christie said that, almost entirely owing to the internet sales tax approved by the state legislature last year, the city is doing significantly better on revenue than usual this year, despite concerns with covid-19.

“We’re ahead of the budget; we’re ahead of previous years,” he said.

Extra unused revenue will be

carried over, he added, noting he would like to spend more money on streets next year.

The potential grant funds were freed up by a joint effort between the Arkansas Municipal League and the County Judges Association, both of which worked with the state to get federal aid to cities and counties.

Each city and county has been awarded a certain amount based on several criteria, he explained.

“Bella Vista was awarded $1 million,” he said.

A large portion of this money will help reimburse police salaries, he explained, because police officers, similar to fire department personnel, are constantly at risk of exposure.

This portion came to $785,000, he said, and the remainder can be used to pursue some projects, including in-car computers and easily-cleaned plastic seats for the squad cars and storage systems for police trucks as well as a self-contained breathing apparatus for detectives to protect them from covid-19.

There are also some projects for the library and Community Development Services, he added.

The difficulty, he said, is that these funds are being approved item by item.

“They’re doing it piecemeal,” he said.

Christie said the council will need to approve these grant funds and he expects a special meeting on Nov. 30, before the special work session, to allow the council to give its approval.