The Jonesboro Finance Administration Committee on Tuesday voted to forward the city’s proposed 2025 budget and an accompanying amendment to the salary administration plan to the full City Council for final consideration.

The committee’s chair read Resolution 24183, the budget adoption ordinance for Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2025, and Resolution 24184, which updates job titles, pay ranges and grades to match the budget. A staff member told the committee the draft budget reflects a roughly flat sales‑tax picture compared with the year’s projection and that the city is “about, call it, $22,000,000 in unappropriated reserves,” which leaders said is available as a last resort to address shortfalls.

Why it matters: The two resolutions together would authorize the city to add about 25 net new positions tied to implementation of the parks master plan, expanded e‑911 capacity and other operational needs. City staff described those positions as necessary before service expansions; some positions are described as part of equipment- or route-related service expansions.

Committee discussion centered on affordability and staffing strategy. A council member asked how the city plans to sustain added personnel if revenues remain flat next year. A staff speaker acknowledged the risk and described ongoing monthly monitoring and a planned Q1 departmental re-evaluation to identify duplicative roles and potential efficiencies. “We narrowed [requests] down to 50, 25 net,” a staff speaker said of earlier position requests.

Park rangers drew specific attention. A council member asked, “Are they... can they arrest somebody if something takes place?” Staff replied the proposed park rangers would not be sworn law-enforcement officers by default and that the city would need to draft an ordinance to define any ticketing or enforcement authority; making them sworn officers would increase costs.

The committee called for members to record their votes to forward both resolutions to full council. The transcript records motions and seconds and the chair’s direction to record votes; a roll-call tally is not included in the record provided.

What’s next: Both resolutions were forwarded to the full City Council for final action; council consideration and any ordinance language defining park-ranger authority will determine whether the positions carry enforcement powers or are non-sworn code‑enforcement roles.