February Budget Meeting Mostly Cleanup; Sales Tax Up 24.4%
At the February 8 Budget & Finance Committee meeting JPs quickly, with no discussion, passed a 2021 cleanup Ordinance and a $2000 Ordinance for internet in the Assessor’s office in the 2021 Budget, plus an Ordinance re-authorizing $136,265 for Sheriff’s Reserve radio equipment from the County’s CARES Act funds for 2022.
The meeting began with County Treasurer Scott Sanson’s January reports. January revenue includes:
County General: $4,139,427
County Road: $3,863,063
County Road Sales Tax: $4,010,650
Animal Control: $1,404,724
Criminal Justice Sales Tax: $1,852,908
Sanson added that January sales tax came in at $1,071,054, which is “24.42% higher than January of 2021.” He has projected $11,600,000 for 2022 sales tax; January is 9% of that amount.
Sanson said
We feel really good where are. That sales tax number is a big number…. I believe Craighead County was up 21 or 22% on sales tax, and Washington was at 20%. Our number’s right there in line with theirs. And those are the two counties I’ve mostly bounced sales tax off of….
Commenting on the 24% uptick in sales tax revenue, Sanson said the County Treasurers would be meeting soon and would be discussing that. “I don’t have an idea right now; I do know we cannot continue these numbers…” he said.
Sanson cautioned that inflationary pressures are probably affecting the revenue. He explained, “We may see some negative stuff” in sales tax numbers when the County refunds sales taxes paid in by Westrock Converting and Westrock Beverage Company who were approved for the “Tax Back” program last month.
On Ordinance 22-06, JP Randy Higgins (R, Dist. 2) explained that “this funding through the CARES Act” is the same Ordinance approved late in 2021 for the Sheriff’s Reserve radio equipment. He said the purchase had to be re-authorized for 2022 due to an apparent billing delay that continued over the end of 2021 into 2022.
Videos edited from original video on Faulkner County’s YouTube channel.)
Visit Faulkner County Reports on YouTube for more videos and video excerpts from this and other County meetings.
