Shelton council backs public-safety as budget priority; staff to explore grants and sales-tax options

Council members at Shelton's Sept. 23 study session repeatedly identified public safety as a priority as staff outlined recurring costs and potential staffing additions for 2026. "Public safety remains a priority," several members said during the discussion; Council member Lindsay and others said they would support adding patrol positions if funding is identified.

The nut graf: City staff presented personnel requests for the police department (including a patrol lieutenant and a patrol officer) and ongoing vehicle and equipment costs; the council directed staff to pursue a public-safety grant and to prepare materials on a 0.1% public-safety sales tax and other revenue options for further study and public engagement.

City Manager Mark Ziegler and the police leadership described tangible recurring costs: vehicle leases for five police cars, taser payments on a five-year plan, and training and CJTC (Criminal Justice Training Commission) costs for new hires. Ziegler warned that adding ongoing positions would change multiyear budget requirements and urged the council to consider sustainability before authorizing new, ongoing hires.

Council members discussed two main revenue pathways the staff highlighted: a competitive grant program that would cover up to 75% of an employee's salary (with a three-year maintenance requirement) and a state-authorized public-safety sales tax (a 0.1% sales-tax option approved by the Legislature in 2015) designed to fund police, municipal court,…