Benton County Quorum Court adopts 2026 budget 13-2 after debate over priorities and jail funding

Benton County's Quorum Court voted 13''—2 on Nov. 20 to adopt the county's 2026 operating budget, approving schedules of revenues and expenditures, updated personnel authorizations and a 4% merit pool with a 6% cap.

The budget vote followed extended discussion in which some justices said the spending plan did not sufficiently prioritize taxpayer protections. Justice Mike Miller said he would vote no, explaining he was uncomfortable defending the budget totals to voters and that the process had not produced the level of scrutiny he wanted. "I'm going to vote no," he said. "...I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning and that was on my mind. For me, budgeting is about prioritizing and defending requirements." Justice John Ressler also announced he would vote no, saying he ran as a fiscal conservative and believed the court could find additional savings to dedicate to the jail project.

The budget package includes a county allocation of $4 million set aside for future jail operations pending final plans; the judge and finance chair said the figure reflects a revenue plus-up the county received this year. Finance Chair Justice Joel Jones and other supporters said the document was the product of extended deliberations among JPs, department heads and staff and thanked county staff for producing the supporting schedules.

Several justices urged continued process improvements next budget season, including earlier deliberations and additional metrics beyond inflation to guide staffing and pay decisions. The court recorded two no votes (Justice Mike Miller and Justice John Ressler); the rest voted in favor. The clerk recorded the final tally as 13 yays, 2 nays.

The court concluded the vote and moved on to other business; department heads and staff will now implement the 2026 appropriations and return with required reports where noted in the budget materials.