Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – The Finance and Administration Council Committee on Tuesday forwarded the city’s 2026 operating budget to the full council.

The 2026 budget totals $85 million, with $54 million allotted for salaries, personnel costs, and first responder training, $2.7 million in fixed assessments and minor equipment, and $1 million set aside for capital improvements.

“I am proud to submit a budget that prioritizes supporting the hard-working staff of the City of Jonesboro, invests in public safety, and provides a considerable funding line for street maintenance and overlays in a transparent, detailed document for residents to follow,” Mayor Harold Copenhaver wrote in a statement before the budget.

City employees will also see a 2% step raise and 2% cost-of-living adjustment. Employees not eligible for a step raise will receive a 4% cost-of-living adjustment. A step raise is a periodic salary increase that moves them to a higher “step” within their current pay grade. In addition, $3 million in the city’s reserve funding is to go toward street infrastructure and maintenance.

There is also a line item in the 2026 budget dedicating $1.1 million in franchise fees, which are fees paid by local utilities and/or telecommunication providers for the use of public rights of way. These fees will go toward debt service for the $17.5 million capital improvement revenue bonds to fund various projects, including new pedestrian accommodations, street improvements, and the upcoming E911/Real Time Crime Center.

Additionally, $250,000 is appropriated for ADA-compliant sidewalks, and $1.1 million is appropriated for “recurring capital improvements” such as drainage improvements, industrial rail maintenance, and economic development.

A total of $4.4 million is appropriated in the city’s depreciation fund. The budget also includes planning for the replacement of 37 units in city vehicle fleets. Twenty-five of those are allocated for the Jonesboro Police Department.

The budget plans for the purchase of two new fire apparatuses, which will cost $2.5 million in total. The city will be contributing $1.25 million, with half of that funding appropriated last year and the other half appropriated this year. City Water and Light of Jonesboro will be contributing the other $1.2 million over two budget cycles.

The budget also allocates $260,000 for tornado siren upgrades, which includes implementing a digital radio system and installing four new sirens in areas “not currently within the area of our coverage today,” according to City of Jonesboro finance director Steve Purtee.

Purtee said funding from this will be pulled from the $582,000 left in the city’s American Rescue Plan Act Fund, now called the restricted revenue fund.

“Since we have fully satisfied all of our commitments relative to having them committed by the year-end 2024, having them spent by 2026, we did use the remaining balance of that funding and put it in our replacement fund, which was permitted by the state and local, federal government relief fund,” he said.

Purtee added that once a resolution to contract the siren upgrades was approved by the full council, the remaining balance in the restricted revenue fund would be around $320,000.

The full city council will consider the budget at its next meeting, set for Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be in Council Chambers of the Municipal Center, located at 300 S. Church St. It will also be livestreamed on the City of Jonesboro’s Facebook page.

Read the full budget here.