La Marque — Police leaders outlined a FY2026 budget proposal on Aug. 12 that shows roughly $500,000 budgeted for overtime, a proposed $4,000,001.62 salary column for the department and sharply higher vehicle maintenance costs, prompting questions from council members about grant reimbursements, accounting, fleet management and whether the city should use existing funds to secure a new station rather than pursue a large bond.

The issues surfaced during a budget workshop presentation by La Marque Police Department command staff and follow‑up questioning by Mayor Pro Tem Joe Compion, council members and City Manager Holly (first reference: City Manager Holly). The department said some overtime is reimbursed by outside agencies but that those reimbursements are recorded in different parts of the budget and are not visible in the department’s overtime line item on the paper budget the council received.

Why it matters: The police budget is the largest operating department cost for La Marque. How the city accounts for reimbursed overtime and grant‑funded personnel affects the general fund picture and the council’s decisions about taxes, staffing and capital projects — including whether to pursue a multi‑million‑dollar bond for a new police facility.

Department summary and key numbers
Chief Wagner, speaking for the department, said the police organization is authorized for 65 total positions: “52 of which are police, 13 civilians.” He told council the department has reduced planned building repair spending and that he and staff subsequently cut roughly $517,000 from an earlier submission: “So we cut $517,000.” Chief Wagner identified the top drivers of overtime as holidays, end‑of‑shift reports that must be completed, emergency response and training (including K‑9 training), and noted some overtime related to federal task‑force assignments is reimbursed later.

City finance staff and the police chief pointed council members to the grants pages of the budget to find offsets. Finance identified two general‑fund revenue line items to track reimbursements: O13802 (auto task force receipts) and O13805 (COPS grant receipts). City staff said a COPS grant award will fund several officer positions and that federal task‑force reimbursements and other grants are entered in different places than the department’s overtime expense line, which makes the department’s expenses look larger on paper.

Fleet, maintenance and vehicle leasing
Council members pressed on vehicle maintenance and leasing. The police department said vehicle maintenance costs have risen and that patrol vehicles are heavily used; one figure discussed by staff was a proposed vehicle maintenance line near $154,000 for FY2026. Department staff explained that many patrol vehicles are on an enterprise lease/purchase arrangement and that nonroutine repairs are often taken to outside shops. Chief Wagner and Lieutenant Anders (patrol) said older seized or forfeited vehicles are not reliable for routine undercover or patrol use and that even when the federal partners sell seized vehicles, the city may be responsible while the vehicle is held in storage.

Council members and staff discussed establishing a professional fleet manager or entering a fleet maintenance contract to reduce long‑term costs and ensure reliable rotation of vehicles under the city’s enterprise agreements.

Accounting and the budget system
Council members asked why printed copies and the MDSS budget system showed different numbers. Chief Wagner said the department updated figures in MDSS after cuts were made, and that the printed book on the dais did not reflect those same reductions. City Manager Holly said staff will print and make available the MDSS numbers for council; she told the council her team would present a revised budget consistent with the tax rate the council adopts.

Police facility and capital funding debate
A sustained portion of the workshop focused on the physical condition of the police facility. Officers and command staff described the building as “subpar” and “deplorable,” cited failing HVAC and breaker issues, water/ceiling problems and space shortages for training and staffing needs. Chief Wagner said the facility’s condition complicates recruitment and daily operations and described tradeoffs between repairing the existing building and planning for a new station.

Council members discussed options including using roughly $3 million in existing CO (certificate of obligation) funds or other available city funds to renovate an available city‑owned building to meet immediate safety needs rather than placing a large general‑obligation bond before voters. One council member said a bond in the range of $17 million was discussed historically and cautioned that large bonds can fail at the ballot box; others urged the council to work together to address barriers to passage if a comprehensive new station is the long‑term goal.

What the council asked staff to do
Council members asked for clearer, consolidated detail tying the police department’s expenses to offsetting revenues and grants (COPS, auto‑task force and other federal reimbursements), a clearer breakdown of overtime drivers and reimbursements, the mileage/age breakdown of patrol vehicles, and options for fleet procurement and maintenance (including the enterprise lease). City Manager Holly told the council staff would return with printed MDSS figures and that the administration is preparing a revised budget that matches the tax rate council sets at the next meeting.

Ending note
The council recessed for lunch and planned to continue the workshop later in the day on other departmental budgets. A procedural motion to adjourn the full meeting was made and approved at the session’s end (adjournment recorded in the meeting minutes).