BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's justices of the peace agreed April 3 to study a temporary half-percent sales tax as the main source to pay for a new courts building.
Kurt Moore, justice of the peace for District 13, and Brent Meyers, justice of the peace for District 14, proposed the half-percent sales tax as the basis for a funding plan. The remainder of the $30 million needed for the project would come from reserve and budget cuts.
"The sales tax would pay about two-thirds of it and the county will pay the rest of it," Moore said. Initial estimates were a half-percent sales tax would raise about $23 million in one year.
Tom Allen, justice of the peace for District 4 and chairman of the Finance Committee, said he may call a special Finance Committee meeting later this month to review details of the proposal.
"What we're looking at is a hybrid where there's a half-percent sales tax for a year and the rest will come from reserve or budget cuts," Allen said.
The Finance Committee spent three hours debating financing options for the proposed $30 million courts building. The recommendation will be sent to the Committee of the Whole for discussion and then to the full Quorum Court.
Justices of the peace voted last month not to consider any increase in the road millage or using fine and fee revenue as a sole source of funding. The remaining options include a temporary sales tax, budget cuts, or a combination of funding options.
The county has been discussing a new building for the circuit court judges, courtrooms, staff members and related offices for several years. The justices of the peace voted last year to keep it in downtown Bentonville.
Plans are for an 86,000-square-foot building on a site on northeast Second Street with space for eight courtrooms, jury deliberation rooms and judges' chambers. It would include space for the circuit clerk, county clerk and other related offices.
The county has six circuit court judges with five in the downtown area and the sixth at the Juvenile Justice Center on Melissa Drive. The fourth floor of the new building, with room for two of the eight courtrooms, would be left as a shell and finished when needed. The cost of finishing the fourth floor isn't included in the estimated $30 million cost.
The county budgeted $1.5 million this year for architectural and engineering work on the building. The $1.5 million is part of the total estimated cost.
If the justices of the peace agree on a funding plan and obtain voter approval, if needed, construction could begin early in 2019. Construction is expected to be completed in 24 to 36 months.
General News on 04/13/2018