TEXARKANA, Ark. -- Following an initial 2022 Calendar Year budget meeting last week, Miller County's Finance Committee members will meet again at 6 p.m., today in the Landmark Building's second floor break-room, to continue budget work.
Last week, committee members decided to eliminate any possibilities of adding new jobs to county's current employee roster.
Ernest Pender, the county's Budget and Finance Committee chairman, said last week, that if there are county offices that have some existing vacancies that need filling, that could be managed, but no new positions could be created or added at all this coming year.
At last week's session, committee members spent much of the time trying to squeeze nearly $8 million in anticipated county office operating expense requests, for next year, into a tighter budget.
County finance planners worked with a county general fund initially forecasting $7,996,758 in anticipated expenditures. However, even after trimming those requests down to $7,981,470, the current estimation of anticipated income to cover that projected amount wound up coming in at just $7,908,903.
Of the 26 county offices collectively making the financial requests, for next year's budget, the Sheriff's Office request --which is one of the largest requests -- increased slightly from an initial $2,275,301 to $2,324,933.
Besides County General fund requests, committee members plan to continue budget work focused on trimming down other departmental costs. They will eventually look at the Road Department, which is asking for more than $4.2 million. Presently, the jail maintenance office, could potentially hold steady at $3.6 million for next year.