Fort Smith board studies 2025 operating budget cuts; parks, IT and police special-event funding draw board scrutiny

Board members and department leaders spent the April 29 study session reviewing proposed 2025 operating-budget reductions across city departments, focusing on Parks and Recreation, information technology, public safety and several service programs. Presenters described targeted, mostly one-time cuts and cautioned that some reductions could delay maintenance or program improvements.

Parks and Recreation: Department leaders Sarah Duuster, director of parks and recreation, and Deputy Director Brian Pennicks outlined planned reductions intended to protect service levels while trimming costs. The department proposed postponing one-time capital purchases (including an LED retrofit project and security-camera installs at Creekmore Community Center and the Glass Pavilion) and reclassifying an open maintenance supervisor position to a field-focused lead to preserve career progression without increasing FTEs. Duuster said the pool will open Memorial Day weekend but that parking-lot construction affects logistics for this season. The parks staff identified a $2,400 initial estimate for a point-of-sale (POS) system integrated with the city’s Tyler cashiering software; board members questioned that estimate and discussed lower-cost alternatives such as Clover or Square, and the department said it will operate on cash-only at the pool this year while developing a longer-term plan.

Capital/Acme property: Board members pressed Parks staff about an $111,000 line for a master plan tied to stormwater mitigation at the large Acme property. Parks said coordination with engineering work on stormwater saved about $51,000 and that the master-plan work would not delay flood mitigation; some elements of the master plan may carry over into the next fiscal year if schedule alignment requires it. Duuster described the work as prioritizing stormwater mitigation while evaluating future park amenities or possible sale of portions of the land.

Facility repairs: The parks director described a $105,000 request to move pump-house and fountain repairs at Cisterna (Suserna) Park to a dedicated sales-and-use tax line, noting the pump house will remain in the same location but is being improved to reduce basement flooding and to install a new fountain liner.

Equipment and mowing: Directors and staff discussed aging maintenance vehicles; Parks staff said several trucks are long in service and vehicle downtime (including a recent total loss) is impairing mowing schedules. Board members asked for an equipment needs update and said they would revisit mid-year if necessary.

Information technology and internal audit: Chief Information Officer James Gentry and his team asked the board to pause recruitment for a senior systems administrator position temporarily, saying technical work is catching up and the department can manage for now but would prefer to fill the role. Multiple directors urged keeping critical IT positions given future needs. In internal audit, the city’s external contractor, Baker Tilly, is working on a risk-assessment questionnaire and will survey department heads to inform priorities; internal audit proposed cutting travel and certifications costs while preserving enough budget for required continuing professional education and a planned director recruitment.

Police and special-event overtime: Fort Smith Police leadership presented several options for police cuts but said all reductions would affect service levels. Board members debated whether the city should require event organizers to pay for police overtime rather than the department absorbing about $69,000 annually in special-event overtime. Directors discussed a policy option to charge events based on scale and to avoid inconsistent enforcement or informal waivers. Police and some board members favored clear standards and a future study session to decide how to apply the ordinance and recover costs; police officials emphasized the need to remain involved in event planning for public-safety reasons.

Other departments: Presenters for finance, purchasing, building safety, neighborhood services, planning, development services and community mobility outlined targeted reductions—largely travel, training and outside-services cuts—with supervisors noting some cuts would be one-time deferrals (for example, printing, advertising and conference travel) while others could slow program delivery. Community Mobility staff said the bike-share program is reimbursable by grant funding through mid-June; without sponsorship or continued funding, stations could be removed after that time, though staff are seeking local sponsors to sustain the program.

Board direction and next steps: Toward the end of the session a board member moved to place the budget items on next week’s agenda for further action; the motion was seconded. Department staff were asked to return with follow-up information on specific items: a more detailed equipment list and timetable for parks mowing/equipment needs, precise POS pricing and integration options for the pool, IT position salary/grading and hiring prospects, and an analysis of special-event overtime costs with options for a charging framework. Several directors asked for a future study session focused on special-event policies and a data presentation on the bike-share sponsorship prospects.

The session was informational; departments presented recommended reductions but no final budget ordinance was adopted at the study session. Board members asked staff to refine numbers and bring clarified proposals to the next meeting so the board can consider formal action.