The Carroll County Quorum Court approved the county’s 2026 budget at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
The budget includes 4 percent pay increases for all county employees with the exception of sheriff’s deputies and detention officers, who will receive raises of $1.25 an hour.
After justices of the peace approved an ordinance establishing the budget on its second and third reading, District 6 JP Craig Hicks said near the end of the meeting that the county is in “very good financial shape.”
“I’ve been on the budget committee for several years now,” Hicks, who serves as chair of the committee, said during the portion of the meeting reserved for JPs’ comments. “And to me, this might be one of our best years moving through the budget. Our elected officials work very well within their budget all year long. We’re good stewards of our tax dollars. The county’s in very good financial shape.”
In addition to the raises for county employees, the budget also includes funding for an additional investigator in the sheriff’s office, Hicks said.
In addition to approving the 2026 budget, JPs also passed several other ordinances and resolutions, including an emergency ordinance establishing the compensation for the county’s elected officials in 2026.
That ordinance sets the county judge’s salary at $70,358.60, with the sheriff’s salary set at $68,573.44. The county clerk, circuit clerk, county treasurer, county tax collector and county assessor each will be paid $62,313.42 in 2026, with the salary for the county coroner set at $9,952.80. Justices of the Peace will be paid $325 for each regular or special meeting of the Quorum Court and $125 for each committee meeting, with the chair of the finance committee being paid $300 for each meeting of that committee.
In another matter, deputy prosecuting attorney Steven Simmons said the county has asked for an opinion from Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin regarding whether emails including county officials are considered to be public records under state law. The request, submitted Dec. 11 by prosecuting attorney Tony Rogers, also asks for clarification about whether emails involving county officials are required to be retained and if they are deemed public records, which office or individual serves as the custodian of those records.
Simmons disclosed the request after Green Forest resident Robert Willoughby asked County Judge David Writer if information that was “emailed to the county” is a record. Willoughby also asked about retention of that information.
“That’s not on our agenda tonight,” Writer said before Simmons interjected.
During JPs’ comments, District 4 JP Hunter Rivett asked about a timeline for receiving an opinion on the issue from the attorney general.
Rogers answered that in his experience it might take six weeks to 60 days to receive a response.
The next regular meeting of the Carroll County Quorum Court is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, in the courtroom of the Eastern District Courthouse in Berryville.
