Finance and Budget Meeting 10/06/2026

Washington County, Arkansas Quorum Court Finance and Budget Committee meeting, October 6, 2026. The committee reviewed 2027 budget requests amid concerns about projected deficits and reserve use; no 2027 budget was adopted. IT presented a request approximately 34% above its 2026 budget, including network and cybersecurity upgrades, computer refreshes, backup storage, and audio-visual improvements. Specific figures discussed included $100,000 for core switches, $170,000 for cybersecurity insurance, $200,000 for computer upgrades, and roughly $700,000 proposed for courthouse audio-visual work. The committee discussed prioritizing IT needs and a proposed budget control requiring IT director approval for county technology purchases, potentially consolidating internet-service purchasing and using competitive pricing or bids. Buildings and Grounds identified elevator work ($585,000), an annex boiler ($277,000), and a courthouse generator ($122,000) among major needs, alongside HVAC, fire-alarm, and other maintenance projects. These were budget requests or estimates, not contract awards.

The committee also reviewed a $264,231 CRI budget request and a $524,192 CAP request. It recommended forwarding to the full Quorum Court an ordinance for $104,931 in CRI grant revenue and a $34,977 match; members debated program costs and effectiveness. Other items recommended for full-court consideration included a $42,665 JDC grant appropriation, a $40,662 Sheriff’s Office capital appropriation funded by an insurance payment for a totaled vehicle, and a Buildings and Grounds line-item transfer for maintenance. A JDC staffing-position reclassification, with an estimated added cost of $3,365, was also sent forward with a do-pass recommendation. The committee discussed but did not decide whether to freeze the 2026 budget or change employee raise timing; aligning anniversary raises to January 1 was estimated to add about $500,000 in the first year.