It's a big job trimming more than $3 million from Little Rock's yearly budget. But that's what the city board of directors did Tuesday night. Now they expect more cuts in the future.
Because of the economy revenue from sales tax went down. So did the fees the city gets from utility use because of the mild summer we had. Tuesday night's meeting was dreary repeat of August when the city board of directors voted on $2 million dollars in budget cuts. Only this time they had to cut another $3 million after revised sales tax projections showed the budget is worse off than everyone thought.
City manager Bruce Moore and Little Rock's finance director put together a list of suggestions starting with moving $1.4 million from the city's waste disposal reserve, money used to buy equipment, to the general fund.
"Even with using this $1.4 million from the solid waste reserve, we'll still have a little money left that we're protected, that we have a cushion," says board member Stacy Hurst.
In the plan, the zoo loses $90,000, Rebsamen Golf Course operates with $64,000 less, and thanks to lower than expected fuel costs, the city can afford to lower the overall fuel budget by $600,000. And neighborhood cleanups and other special projects will lose $2.3 million.
"I think we understand that of the options we have this is the best option," explains Hurst.
The Little Rock Police force will get an additional $500,000 to cover overtime. And Hurst says at this point no furloughs or layoffs are in the works, but if the financial situation doesn't improve that's not out of the question.
Also at the meeting the city board voted to turn over operational control of the River Market to the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau. Little Rock has been pumping a lot of money into the River Market and this will free up funding also.
