On Tuesday, the Little Rock Board of Directors will consider the 2023 City Budget, a document that reflects the City’s priorities and sets out spending goals and guidelines for next year. We crafted the proposed 2023 budget with an emphasis on public safety, our top priority as we move into a new year.

Public safety has been the primary focus of my administration and the Board of Directors this year with the launch of our Real Time Crime Center at the Little Rock Police Department and the allocation of more than $1.5 million for violence intervention programs to prevent crime.

In the proposed 2023 budget, we are addressing the critical recruitment and retention needs of the Little Rock Police Department by increasing the entry level pay for police officers to $50,000 and implementing across-the-board police salary increases ranging from 7.9 percent to 12 percent. If the Board approves the budget proposal, Little Rock’s entry-level police pay in 2023 will be $50,000, with an additional $10,000 signing bonus. We believe these deserved and necessary pay increases will help us to more quickly fill the vacancies within LRPD and keep veteran officers on the force, since LRPD will have the highest-paid municipal police force in the state.

Under the pay structure to be considered by the Board, police officers with fewer than six years of experience will receive a 12 percent pay hike. Officers with between six and eight years of service will see a 9.7 percent increase; and officers with eight years or more will see their pay go up 7.9 percent. That means an officer hired next year would be making at least $73,276 within eight years.

In addition to the salary increases, we’ve provided funding for 103 new police vehicles; and the LRPD budget includes two new civilian positions to conduct background investigations in order to move two officers back to patrol.

Our comprehensive focus on public safety will help us continue to make progress toward decreasing violent crime in the state’s capital city. As of last week, the rate of overall violent crime was 8 percent lower than the same period in 2021. Since the spring, our overall violent crime rate has been down when compared to last year. We recently saw an overall percentage decrease in total crime (violent and nonviolent offenses, combined) compared to last year.

All of us recognize that there’s still work to do, despite the progress. Our homicide rate is unacceptable. I mourn every single loss of life, as each one pierces my heart and my mind. Even one homicide is one too many, and I’ve personally seen the toll these deaths take on our families, neighborhoods and law enforcement.

The proposed 2023 budget is indicative of our resolve to reduce crime through support of our law enforcement personnel and continuation of our long-term, comprehensive approach to improving our communities. I appreciate the work of the LRPD as well as the efforts of our Department of Community Programs and our nonprofit partners engaged in prevention, intervention and treatment.

Please take the time to review the budget presentation provided to the Board of Directors last week, and let me or the Directors know if you have any questions or concerns.

Longtime employees recognized

The City of Little Rock employs more than 2,300 people across multiple departments. City employees are our most important asset, as their work impacts public safety and the quality of life of all our residents and visitors. I'm grateful every day for their dedication to the City of Little Rock and their commitment to public service.

Some of our employees have dedicated most, if not all, of their careers working on behalf of the City of Little Rock. These employees are the backbones of our departments, and they provide the wisdom and institutional knowledge necessary to deliver the best services to the community we serve.

It was my privilege to join our long-serving employees and other city officials last week at a luncheon in their honor. We recognized Little Rock city employees observing their 20th or 30th work anniversaries.

City employees with 20 years of service are: 

Cynthia Smith, Emergency Operations; Juanenna Williams, Executive Administration; Daniel Calaway, Frederick Chapple, Douglas Coffman, Rickey Crow, John Fulbright, Barron Garriga, Brooks Glover, Jarrod Gray, Travis Green, Nathaniel Hartwick, Johnny Hill, Jennifer Hyatt, Chad Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brad Jones, Jacob Langford, Travis Langley, Jason Langston, Jacob Lee, Jeff Milburn, Nathaniel Molsbee, Kevin Murphy, Frederick Newman, Eric Patrick, Shane Reed, Scotty Samford, Kenneth Schmeckenbecher, Michael Steele, James Trantham, Robert Vest, William Whitaker, David Wilson, Scott Wingert, all in the Fire Department; Nita Moser, Fleet Services; Michael Hall, Stephen Mcateer, Jeffrey Lacey, Jesse Lawson, John Rogers and Linda Beeler, all in the Parks and Recreation Department; Elisha Ramer, Richard Kiser, Sarah Hicks, Rusty Rothwell, Stephen Lichti, Joe Hill, Rena Evans, Heath Atkinson and Laura Martin, all in the Police Department; Christine Burgan, Travis Rumph, Edgar Lewis, Stanley Hicks, Susanne Hulsey, Tony Burse, Napoleon Bowden, Lavon Johnson, Marqueta Dooley, and Valerie Gordon, all in the Public Works Department.

City employees with 30 years of service are: 

Joseph Buck, Emergency Communications; McKinley Davis, Robbie Snowden, Terry Perryman, Edwin Woolf and Jeffery Lewis, all in the Fire Department; Stacey Witherell, Human Resources; Marilyn Clark, Lawrence Welborn, Russell King, Howard Finks and David Blackman, all in the Police Department; Ronald Campbell, Planning; Richard Hawkins, Parks and Recreation; and Tommy Harrington and Linda Bennett, both in Public Works. 
 

• The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 4 p.m. at the Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. Please note the 4 p.m. start time, which is earlier than the typical start time for a regular Board meeting. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock Facebook and YouTube pages. To view the agenda, click here. 
• City offices will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26, for the Christmas holiday again on Monday, Jan. 2, for the New Year's Day holiday. 
• The Little Rock Parks Commission meets Wednesday, Dec. 21, at noon at the Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. The Parks Commission advises city leadership on Parks and Recreation Department topics.
• GloWild, which features dozens of animal-themed lantern exhibits, continues this week at the Little Rock Zoo. This popular attraction, in its second year, drew thousands of visitors to the Zoo in 2021. GloWild is from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on select nights until Jan. 7. For more information and for tickets, click here.
• The Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs is sponsoring a Winter Sock Drive to provide socks for individuals in need. New socks can be dropped off at Neighborhood Resource Centers throughout Little Rock until Tuesday, Dec. 20.