Quorum Court to look over 09 budget
Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008
BENTONVILLE Benton Countys 2009 operating budget will receive its final look-through tonight when the Quorum Court meets at 6 p. m. at the County Administration Building.
Included in the proposed budget is a $ 34, 000 allotment to help the Washington County HIV Clinic, as well as funding for three new county employee positions. Those positions will be a sergeant for courthouse security, a court orders clerk for Judge Xollie Duncan and a heavy equipment operator.
Should the budget be passed during the meeting, county elected officials and the justices of the peace will receive pay raises.
The budget was met with opposition during the November meeting of the Committee of 13 when two members of the court, Debra Hobbs and Beverly Williams, voiced concerns over the pay raises.
(The budget ) ties to the state (mandated pay range ) and it makes (the pay raises ) automatic but some of the elected officials are getting what is an eight percent raise, Williams said, I am not sure we need to jump them so high in hard economic times.
Under the new budget, nonelected county employees will be eligible for up to fourpercent raises, two percent of which will be for cost of living and up to two percent for merit.
I am appalled we feel two percent for our employees is adequate and eight percent for our elected officials is OK, Williams said.
If the Quorum Court votes to pass the 2009 budget tonight, the raises will go into effect Jan. 1.
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