Members of the Pine Bluff City Council received copies of the proposed 2022 city budget just before their meeting Monday night, documents which in past years council members received in October.
Appearing on the Oldies 101.3 morning show Tuesday, Council member Joni Alexander said the city has about a $50 million budget, with some of that money designated as restricted, meaning it can only be spent for specific purposes, the street department or transit for example.
Alexander was asked if that $50 million was enough.
Show hosts Greg Horne and Will Jenkins mentioned the actions taken by Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson to improve the county’s financial picture, including cutting personnel. Alexander said Robinson is being praised now but when he took the initial actions, the reaction of some county officials was highly critical.
She said the City of Pine Bluff now has more employees than it did at its peak and recently spent $1 million for a software upgrade that has not been implemented. Alexander was asked whose fault that was.
