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Simmons Bank Arena board reports clean audit and year of strong ticket sales; county judge signals upcoming pay resolution
Summary
The Simmons Bank Arena multipurpose facilities board reported an unqualified audit for 2024 and highlighted strong attendance figures for several headline shows. Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde told the board a pay-resolutions would be considered later in the meeting.
The multipurpose civic center facilities board, known as Simmons Bank Arena, presented its 2024 independent audit to the Pulaski County Quorum Court on April 22, reporting an unqualified (clean) opinion from the auditors and a year of strong event attendance.
Becky Barnes Campbell, chairwoman of the Simmons Bank Arena board, told the court that the independent auditors’ report and financial statements were prepared by Forvis Mazars and that the auditors issued a clean or unqualified opinion. "Once again, they have issued our financial statements with clean and or unqualified opinion," she said.
Campbell said 2024 featured major events that drew large crowds, naming acts including Cody Johnson, Stevie Nicks, Zach Bryan (two nights), Chris Stapleton and Jelly Roll; she reported more than 13,000 tickets sold for several headline shows and more than 25,000 combined attendance for Trans-Siberian Orchestra and the University of Arkansas vs. UCA basketball game at year-end. The board said it maintained capital reserves and completed upgrades to landscaping, energy management and lighting control systems.
The court’s presiding officer, Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, told the board: "we're gonna have a resolution a little later in the meeting to double your salary and and, just to show you how much we really do appreciate the work that you do and your board." The transcript records the judge’s remarks; the court did not adopt a specific salary measure for arena staff during the business portion reported in this transcript excerpt.
Michael Marion, the arena general manager, thanked the court and the board for support. Justice Elliott and other justices praised facility improvements such as new paint, siding and landscaping.
Board members said they expect 2025 to be slower nationally for touring events and plan to manage expenses while maintaining maintenance and safety standards. The board committed to prioritize facility upkeep and customer safety as attendance trends change.
The court accepted the audit report; no formal vote on the audit itself was recorded in the meeting transcript beyond the presentation and comments.
