Saline County quorum approves multiple 2025 ordinances, creates passport fund and OKs $1 bilingual pay bump

The Saline County Quorum Court approved several 2025 budget ordinances, established a Passport Acceptance Facility Fund and approved a $1-per-hour bilingual pay increase for a county collector position at its meeting.

The court enacted Ordinance 2025-9 to appropriate court security grant funds for 2025; Ordinance 2025-10 to establish a Passport Acceptance Facility Fund as a separate special revenue fund; an ordinance to establish a SUT General Fund subfund; and Ordinance 2025-12, an amendment to the 2025 Saline County budget that anticipates revenue and appropriates/transfers funds among budgets. The court then approved an action authorizing a $1 hourly bilingual pay premium for a collector position, effective July 2, 2025, with no additional budget appropriation required.

Why it matters: the ordinances adjust how county revenues and specific program funds are organized and appropriated for 2025, which affects how the circuit clerk and other county offices will account for and spend those funds. The bilingual pay action adjusts hourly compensation for a county employee and takes effect July 2, 2025.

Ordinances and votes - Ordinance 2025-9 (court security grant appropriation): motion to approve made by Justice Bisbee, seconded by Justice Bellinger. Roll call recorded a sequence of “Yes” votes by the justices listed during the roll call; the court recorded the final count verbally as "13 4." Outcome: approved.

- Ordinance 2025-10 (establish Passport Acceptance Facility Fund and declare emergency): motion to read by title and approve made by Justice Bellinger, seconded by Justice Engel. Circuit Clerk (identified in the meeting transcript as "Clerk") said the funds are already dedicated in the budget and "this money will be in a separate fund now," explaining the change is an internal reallocation rather than a new appropriation. Roll call again recorded a verbal count stated as "13 4." Outcome: approved.

- Ordinance to establish the SUT General Fund subfund (read by title and declared an emergency): motion to approve by Justice Curtis, seconded by Justice Billingsley. Outcome recorded as approved with the court’s verbal tally noted as "13 4."

- Ordinance 2025-12 (amend 2025 Saline County budget ordinance 2024-35; anticipate revenue and appropriate/transfer funds): motion to approve by Justice Bellinger, seconded by Justice Kellum. Outcome recorded as approved with the court’s verbal tally noted as "13 4."

Action item - Collector bilingual pay increase: the court approved an action to increase bilingual pay for a collector position by $1 per hour, effective July 2, 2025. Motion by Justice Kellum, second by Justice Whitley. The item was described in the meeting as "no budget appropriation fee" (no new appropriation required). The court voiced the motion and the ayes; outcome: approved.

Other announcements - The court noted several historic-preservation grants and local events: a secured grant to replace the roof on the Oddfellows Building (the Saline County Historical and Heritage Society building) and a no-match grant of $18,888.89 approved in the agenda to enhance county security (noted in the meeting as toward courthouse security). The court also said it secured a $137,000 grant from "Arkansas history and preservation" to support brick-and-mortar repairs, foundation work and attic fire suppression for the roughly 123-year-old building. The court announced a planning session for the county’s July 4 (250th) celebration on Wednesday, July 30 at 9 a.m. at the Saline County Career and Technical Education campus; the announcement invited public attendance.

What the record shows and what it does not - The transcript records roll-call style "Yes" votes and a repeated verbal tally phrased as "13 4" for several ordinances. The meeting did not provide a detailed breakdown of any "No" or "Abstain" votes in the transcript for those items beyond the affirmative roll-call responses and the court's verbal tally. Where the transcript provides explicit individual "Yes" responses, those names are recorded in the official roll call.

- The Passport Acceptance Facility Fund was described by the clerk as moving already-dedicated budgeted money into a separate fund under the circuit clerk’s discretion with court approval; the court did not describe any new revenue source or outside grant tied specifically to that fund in the transcript.

Meeting cadence and next steps - The court moved through the listed ordinances and action items with routine motions to suspend the rules and read by title; most items drew no public comment during the meeting. The court closed with general announcements and adjourned.