Jonesboro City Council approves $60 million budget for 2016

In a relatively short meeting Tuesday, Jonesboro council members approved the city’s new budget while Mayor Harold Perrin said some work still needs to be done.

In its first meeting of the year, council members approved the city’s $60 million budget. Budget committee chairman Darrel Dover said the budget, which goes through Dec. 31, 2016, will include amendments to cover the purchase of a new animal control truck as well as a revised salary schedule for city employees. The truck is expected to cost $24,000 with bids expected in the next few weeks.

Perrin said the salary schedule will seek to make salaries uniform for certified and non-certified employees alike. The city’s budget is $2.5 million less than the 2015 budget, Perrin said, noting the majority of the reductions were in capital improvements. However, Perrin said a good portion of the $2.5 million could cover gaps in the salary situation.

No specifics have been ironed out. Perrin did say that city officials will look at pay raises as well as longevity as part of the overall picture. The city finance committee will meet Jan. 12 to discuss the plan, with the plan going before the council at its Jan. 19 meeting.

Perrin said the city had a productive 2015, with $85 million in building permits requested last year. The city also saw a drop in its ISO rating from 3 to 1, Perrin said. The new rating, which takes effect April 1, 2016, is due to the city upgrading its fire stations and equipment, Perrin said.