Jonesboro officials stress communication ahead of budget proposal

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Making the most of the city’s money was the theme at the Jonesboro Finance and Administration Council meeting on Friday.

On Dec. 9, there was a back-and-forth between Mayor Harold Copenhaver and the council about the city’s 2023 budget.

The biggest talking points at the meeting were open communication about projects on the budget and making sure all of the money is spent.

Finance Director Steve Purtee said in years past, there has been a lot left over and he wants to make sure things change next year.

“We are setting the expectation of fully using our revenues,” he said. “We are always very conservative, we are opening that up a little bit, we are going to make ourselves a little more vulnerable.”

Council members said many people have previously been left in the dark about the status of a major project like a trail or new building.

Copenhaver contributed that to construction issues due to COVID-19, saying in many cases, they did not have progress to share, but he emphasized that will change.

“When we start a project, unfortunately, we can’t finish it due to supplies, so we are seeing that a lot of times,” he said. “I think again with addressing that with each project, we want everyone to know where we are, it’s about transparency.”

The council will meet again on Tuesday, Dec. 13 to vote on the approval of the budget.

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