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Fort Smith board adopts revised 2025 operating budget after votes restoring allocations and transit funds
Summary
The Fort Smith City Board of Directors on May 6 approved an amended 2025 operating budget after restoring the 2024 cost-allocation mix and reversing proposed transit cuts; board debate centered on contingency levels, vacant positions and how cuts would affect operations.
The Fort Smith City Board of Directors voted on May 6 to adopt an ordinance amending the city's 2025 operating budget as presented and amended, after a series of motions that restored the 2024 cost-allocation percentages and rescinded proposed cuts to the public transit program.
City Chief Financial Officer Andy Richards told the board the packet included a proposed "projected" column that incorporates the cuts and instructions discussed in recent study sessions; he said the budget as amended would set the city's contingency reserve at about 17.7 percent, below the board's 20 percent policy threshold.
Why it matters: the board's actions determine department operations, vacancy management and the city's reserve level for the fiscal year. Members voiced particular concern about preserving public safety and utility finances while…
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