By JOE MAY | The Southern Standard

Meeting in a short session Tuesday evening, the Arkadelphia City Board of Directors passed the 2023 budget.

In introducing the $25 million budget, City Manager Gary Brinkley stated that following the last board meeting, he had “tweaked” the document and had been able to add $11,369 in projected revenue to the budget. At the motion of Directors Keith Cruise and Roland Gosey, the motion carried.

Brinkley stated that the staff had consulted with department heads to see which 12 holidays employees wanted to observe in 2023 and the consensus was that Good Friday would be dropped from the list of holidays in favor of Christmas Eve. He noted that the new federal holiday of Juneteenth is now on the city’s holiday list. Employees are also allowed to take off on their birthday, the city manager said.

At the motion of Cruise the measure was approved.

In other business, the board:

• Placed ordinances to increase the amount that can be spent without bids and to rezone 1019 North 10th Street on their second readings.

• Heard Brinkley say that Price & Company was the city’s loan bid for insurance at $95,940, an increase from $86,486 last year due to added properties.  The bid was approved unanimously.

• Heard Brinkley say that the 16th Street water tower project is completed and the AT & T and Verizon cell phone towers are being re-installed by the companies.  Water Superintendent David Green stated that after the first of the year, both companies plan on updating their equipment, which could cause another temporary interruption in service.

• Heard Brinkley say that work on removing trees on the south end of the bypass should begin after the first of the year.

• Heard Brinkley and Police Chief Shorty Jackson state that the APD’s Cop Walk program in which every patrol officer walks through each school on a weekly basis has been named the winner of a statewide award.