Fort Smith departments propose cuts and adjustments; board advances review of mosquito spraying, recycling costs and transit projects

City department heads presented proposed operating reductions and program clarifications as part of Fort Smith’s effort to identify budget savings for 2025.

Solid Waste: Director Duane McDonald told the board his department identified approximately $655,000 in reductions from a $16.2 million budget (about 4% of total budget or 7.6% of operating budget by one calculation). McDonald explained recycling disposal and transportation costs have risen after a fire at a local processor (Mark Recycling), forcing the city to bale and ship material out of state. That change increased recycling costs by roughly $175,000 for the remainder of the year. McDonald said alternatives closer to Fort Smith were sought but did not provide a lower‑cost option. He noted the department’s fund balance and said some savings could be reserved for storm response or capital needs.

Streets and Traffic Control: Director Matt Meeker proposed a 10.2% department‑wide cut totaling $1,111,656. Proposed measures include freezing nine open full‑time positions (five equipment operators, three traffic signal specialists, one traffic signal maintenance role), freezing two seasonal positions that handle mosquito spraying and eliminating the city’s mosquito spraying program (staff estimated the spraying program cost about $73,000). Directors discussed health, safety and community concerns; one director moved to eliminate mosquito spraying and a second was recorded. Board members noted that ending spraying would require an ordinance or resolution and public comment at a future meeting.

Recycling and waste removal: McDonald said that Mark Recycling’s Rogers facility burned in late 2024, increasing out‑of‑state transport costs. He said reducing collection frequency would not meaningfully lower the added costs because the higher expense occurs after delivery to the processor.

Transit: Ken Savage and Lori Carr presented a 13% proposed reduction ($446,000) in transit operating costs resulting mainly from pausing an anticipated service expansion that had included two driver positions and related operating expenses. Savage also raised a capital matter: a planned industrial access road required a rail runaround to meet Federal Railroad Administration safety requirements. An estimate for the runaround was $860,000; Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding could cover 80%, leaving an approximate local share of $86,000 if the A & M railroad contributes 10% of the non‑federal match as discussed. Directors asked staff to supply a one‑page worksheet with service expansion costs, projected ridership and the federal‑match implications.

Fire: Chief Waters presented about $378,000 in suggested cuts across three programs, largely from delaying nonessential purchases and using recent grant funding for required medical physicals; he said no proposed cuts would reduce firefighter safety or response capability. Board members asked staff to prepare a modest line item for station supplies and to ensure essential equipment (for example, extrication tools and bunker gear) is replaced when it fails or reaches end of life.

Next steps: Administration said it asked larger departments to aim for a 10% operating reduction and smaller single‑program departments to aim for about 5%. Directors said staff would consolidate recommended reductions and bring a consolidated budget amendment back to the board for consideration, with the aim of preparing material for a May regular meeting.