Fort Smith directors plan sessions to discuss ’24 budget

FORT SMITH — City directors are taking five evenings to discuss the proposed 2024 operating budget before considering approval at their Dec. 19 meeting.

The budget proposal states that the city’s general fund saw $62.8 million in revenue in 2022, with the projected 2023 revenue expected to be roughly $67.1 million. The expected 2024 revenue is projected to be lower at roughly $54.7 million, a decrease of $12.3 million, or 18.4%.

MANAGEMENT SERVICES

The 2024 budget is roughly $15.8 million, a nearly $2.3 million increase from the projected 2023 budget.

City Clerk Sherri Gard said the largest increase in her budget relates to 2024 election costs.

The city clerk’s projected other expenses for 2023 are $12,000, compared to $135,000 in 2024.

James Gentry, the city’s IT director, said while inflation costs are going down globally, his department is seeing inflation prices 10-20% higher than before. He said he’s proud the IT budget is only 4.2% higher than the amended 2023 budget.

POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Police Department’s total 2023 projected budget is $21.6 million and the 2024 budget is $23.9 million, a $2.2 million increase. The majority of that increase is from the

% sales tax collection, which brought in roughly $1.8 million in 2023 and is expected to be $4.1 million in 2024.

Police Chief Danny Baker said the department has seen significant declines in the overall crime rate and receives great community support. He asked that the budget be increased by $20,000 to improve media relations and allow for being transparent with the public on social media, as well as $40,000 to replace an old vehicle with an electric vehicle.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Fire Department has a $1.4 million decrease in 2024 from the projected 2023 budget, at $17.1 million and $18.5 million, respectively. The biggest decrease is roughly $1.1 million to the department’s administration budget.

The directors also amended the 2023 budget in October to purchase property for the Fire Department Maintenance Center. The center will be at 5601 and 5715 Wheeler Ave. and cost $1.6 million.

The 2024 budget projects that the Fire Department’s portion of the sales tax will be roughly $3.73 million, only $20 more than in 2023. Expenditures are expected to be $3.19 million, roughly $39,321 less than 2023 and allowing the department’s fund balance to increase to $2.51 million by the end of 2024.

STREETS DEPARTMENT

The Streets, Bridges and Drainage plan outlines 25 ongoing projects. For 2024 it includes spending $1.5 million for improving streets, $2.55 million for intersection and signal improvements, $2.2 million to acquire right of way to extend Kelley Highway to Riverfront Drive and roughly $5 million for detention ponds at the Acme Brick Park. It also includes partnering with the Arkansas Department of Transportation to widen Arkansas 45 between Arkansas 255 and U.S. 71.

The proposed 2024 budget has the Street Maintenance Fund at $11.37 million in revenue and $11.38 million in expenditures. The numbers are both better than the projected 2023 budget, with a $27,523 increase in revenue and a roughly $2.95 million decrease in expenditures. The department’s budget has the additional $10,572 in expenses from 2024 taken from its roughly $7.7 million fund balance.