Little Rock city leaders vote to approve 2025 budget
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- The City of Little Rock met Thursday for its third reading of the 2025 budget at a special meeting, which amounts to over $333 million.
According to Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., the budget prioritizes public safety, parks & recreation, infrastructure & public works and everything in between.
The approval of the budget was contingent on an agreement being met with the Little Rock Fire Department and the city.
The mayor and the board of directors met to hear from firefighters and their families before placing their vote on the budget.
"That's why this issue is so urgent, because I know that when we show up we are there to help, we know we are there to help, and even if we don't have all the equipment we need we are still going to do all that we can,” Little Rock Firefighters Local 34 president Matthew Stallings said.
Stallings spoke during public comments on behalf of all the firefighters in the room. Expressing other concerns such as pay, hours, and working/living conditions.
"Some years we go up to the brink as it relates to a budget deadline, some years it's police this year it was fire," Scott said.
"Showing up to a house fire in a pickup truck is not safe, showing up to a high-rise fire without a ladder is not safe, but because I know them, I know what they are going to do," Stallings said.
During the meeting, an agreement was made with the fire union which, according to the mayor, was for a two-year contract with a 5% increase to their pay each year.
As of now the hours for the firefighters will not change, and the living/working conditions remain as they stood before.
"Being a son of a firefighter, I can tell you there are a lot of fire stations that predate my administration that as a city we have got to prioritize," Scott said.
By finalizing the budget, it means the city’s more than 2,000 employees, including fire and police, will get their pay raises for the year 2025.
For all non-uniformed full-time city workers, the pay is a 1.75% increase.
The vote did pass with an emergency order to adopt the budget, meaning that employees’ first paycheck in 2025 should reflect the new increase.
The full ordinance can be viewed on LittleRock.gov.
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