Benton County supervisors approve mobile-home tax abatements, training funds and budget amendments

Benton County supervisors on April 1 approved a group of routine resolutions and motions, including two tax abatements for derelict mobile homes, a training budget and equipment authorization for county law enforcement training, a budget amendment to cover costs tied to the dissolution of the mental-health region, and several personnel and vehicle payment actions.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 25-16 — Mobile-home tax abatement: The board approved, by resolution, abating delinquent taxes on two mobile home parcels. The county treasurer reported the first parcel'''s delinquent taxes total $2,492 (parcel 11253355). The second parcel was described as having smaller taxes (parcel number read in transcript as 4798280655); the transcript did not specify a final dollar figure for the second parcel in the read resolution. The resolution directs the treasurer to remove the assessed amounts from the county system. Vote: unanimous (tally recorded as yes:3, no:0, abstain:0).

- Resolution 25-17 — Countywide law-enforcement training coordinator and funding: The supervisors approved authorizing $5,000 per year for training services and $2,500 per year for equipment and related costs to designate a countywide training coordinator (role discussed in the meeting as emphasizing law-enforcement training). The motion included authorization for a county official (Ray) to sign an amendment to the employee agreement to reflect the change. Vote: unanimous (tally yes:3, no:0, abstain:0).

- Resolution 25-18 — Budget amendment: The board approved a budget amendment described in the meeting to cover costs associated with the mental-health region'''s dissolution, retention pay and other carryover items; the presenter cited $57,004.20 associated with region-related retention pay, an additional $77,100 representing withholdings tied to salary increases, and an additional $95,000 for radio equipment and weapons and vehicle needs. The county auditor said the amendments correct earlier line-item allocations. Vote: unanimous (tally yes:3, no:0, abstain:0).

Other motions and routine approvals

- Handwritten claim/payment for vehicles: The board approved a handwritten check (motion text in the record) for vehicle-related purchases in the amount of $123,692 to cover tires/vehicle needs for three vehicles that were being processed and partially upfitted. Vote: unanimous (tally yes:3, no:0, abstain:0).

- Wage increase and classification change for a road employee: The supervisors approved a wage increase for Ronald Reagan (who operates a motor grader at the Van Horn shed) to $28.84 per hour and a classification change to labor classification 4d. Vote: unanimous (tally yes:3, no:0, abstain:0).

- Budget hearing date: The board discussed and moved to set a late-April budget hearing at 9:30 a.m. during the meeting; the transcript contains conflicting references to April 20 and April 22 in the discussion and the exact date printed in the motion is not clearly resolved in the audio. The board stated the hearing must be completed by the end of the month; staff will publish the final hearing date in the legal notice. Vote to set the hearing: unanimous (tally yes:3, no:0, abstain:0). The county clerk will publish the precise date and time in the official public notice.

Procedural notes and context

Most items were handled as routine business after brief presentations by county staff. Several items corrected line-item errors in the proposed FY26 budget and moved funds so the county can pay retention and operational costs and seek reimbursement once regional-to-ASO transitions are finalized. Supervisors voted unanimously on the listed resolutions and motions; no roll-call dissent was recorded in the meeting transcript.