City police officials and finance staff presented the department’s 2025–26 proposed budget at the Sept. 3 workshop and answered commissioners’ questions about personnel costs, vehicles and a pending union stipend proposal.

Why it matters: The police budget is a major portion of the general fund. Commissioners pressed staff for exact figures connecting proposed pay adjustments to payroll and other line items before finalizing the city budget.

What commissioners asked: Commissioners asked whether the proposed fiscal-year budget would cover anticipated contract items tied to union negotiations. Commissioner Davis and others asked whether stipend increases under negotiation had been included in the draft budget and how they would affect personnel totals. Commissioner Davis said she did not want to “make blind guesses” and wanted numbers filled in before committing.

Staff numbers and union proposal: Finance director (referred to in the meeting as Miss Carty) and Police Chief Shaw told the commission the department included placeholder amounts for the union negotiations because bargaining details were incomplete. Chief Shaw said the police union asked for stipends to be set at $3,500 for several certification categories; most stipends historically were $1,200 and some special categories (K-9, coordinated instructor) have different caps. Chief Shaw summarized the effect: “we have currently a 37 officers... any of those individuals who are qualified to receive it can be eligible to receive a stipend.” He also said vehicle purchases were budgeted at $600,000, and financing options were under review.

Finance staff quantified the incremental payroll impact: the finance director told the commission the incremental cost to fully fund the current stipend proposal would be roughly $108,000 in the police budget; she said she had placed $100,000 in the draft and the delta might be around $8,000.

Compensation mechanics: Staff said stipends would not be part of base salary and could be removed; they were designed to compensate officers for additional duties or certifications and to be less costly than hiring additional positions or contracting outside services. Chief Shaw and other staff argued well-targeted stipends could save money by keeping training in-house rather than contracting outside instructors.

Open items and next steps: Commissioners pressed for a line-by-line budget briefing with the completed numbers so commissioners know the budget implications of the pending union settlement. No final wage settlement or vote was recorded at the Sept. 3 workshop.

Ending: Staff said they will return with firm numbers and that, if needed, vehicle financing options are being explored to preserve capital and salary lines.