Berryville council approves budget

The Berryville City Council approved the city’s 2025 budget at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

By a vote of 3-0, the council approved a resolution establishing the spending plan for 2025. The budget, which was presented to council members on Dec. 3, calls for total revenue of $12,670,000, with total appropriations of $12,272,600.

Also at the Dec. 17 meeting, the council reviewed the Berryville Police Department’s monthly activity report for November.

Berryville police issued 73 citations in November, down from 104 in November 2023. There were 53 offenses reported, down from 72 the previous year. The department had a 79 percent clearance rate for the month, responded to 18 traffic accidents — one more than in November 2023 — and collected $1,060 in fines and bonds.

The council also discussed the recent news that Berryville received a $400,000 grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission through its Arkansas Site Development Program. Berryville was one of 13 Arkansas communities to receive funding.

Mayor Tim McKinney was absent from the council meeting, but city administrative assistant Jay Lee told council members that the funds will be used to expand water and sewer infrastructure in the Berryville Business Park. Lee also told council members that city officials recently met with a representative of Stephens Inc. regarding reissuing a bond.

“He gave us a breakdown of our 1-cent sales and use tax collections over the last few years,” Lee said. “In 2016, we were at $1.426 million in our 1-cent sales and use tax collections for a year. In 2023, that same 1-cent sales and use tax collection has grown to $2,064,000. Projected 2024 collections should be somewhere in $2.1 million and change. So our sales tax growth is really growing, organically and by adding new businesses.” The Berryville City Council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, at City Hall.