While council is onboard with spending down a part of the “rainy day” fund, sustainability of positions is a concern.
The 2024 general fund year end balance is expected to be about $22 million and $18.7 million in 2025, according to staff reports.
“(The) financial forecast for the general fund sees that level of planned general fund deficit spending ending in 2026 with the fund maintaining approximately 35 percent reserve balance into the future,” according to the budget proposal.
As council wrangled with personnel spending questions, it was clear public safety is the first priority.
The city’s purchase of the Towne Mall to guide future development, ground breaking this year of a aquatic center, the Renaissance Pointe event center and retail project and several residential developments has council focused on the division of police staffing needs.
The police department general fund budget for 2025 will be $16,176,263. In addition, there is $289,743 budgeted from other specific funding sources that can be used for police activities, according to the staff proposed budget report.
During a recent work session, Councilman Paul Lolli, the former city manager, said in 2023 there were informal discussions to bring the police department’s authorized officer number to 90 by the year 2026.
Currently that number from the chief down to patrol is 82. The 2025 budget originally proposed an addition two officers as well as an additional dispatcher and corrections officer. After council input, the number of additional officers increased to three.
But at the work session, council also questioned if that number was enough.
Lolli said that 90-officer goal was low based on the national average of 110 officers with a city of 50,000 population.
“We need more officers on the street,” Lolli said, adding with the East End development the population will increase.
All council members agreed more officers were needed, but how many in one year is the question without eating too far into reserves.
Council member Steve West II and Paul Horn also pushed to explore converting the current fire station on South Dixie Highway into a police substation once the division of fire moves into new stations all slated for completion in 2025.
The newest proposed budget calls for a total of six new officers in 2025 bringing the total up to 88.
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