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City reviews police budget with wage, insurance and body‑camera spending increases
Summary
City Manager Boyer and police staff outlined proposed 2026 increases to police wages, health insurance and pension contributions and described $14,500 in budgeted body‑camera purchases and other capital equipment; no new sworn positions were proposed.
City Manager Boyer and police leaders presented the proposed 2026 police budget to the Finance Committee of the Whole, highlighting higher wages, benefit costs and several capital equipment items while saying no additional sworn positions are included. "So tonight, we're gonna start out with the police general fund budget," City Manager Boyer said at the meeting. Police leadership said the budget includes contingency purchases for body‑worn cameras and other equipment.
The proposal lists a $70,300 increase in nonbargaining wages (line 101‑151‑5000) and a $261,155 increase for police wages tied to the outcome of recent contract negotiations (line 101‑151‑5015). "There's no additional staff here, so this essentially is related to the negotiations," Manager Boyer said. Health insurance for police is budgeted to rise by $166,915 for fiscal 2026 (line 101‑151‑5220), and the police pension contribution will increase to the amount determined by the city actuary (line 101‑151‑5255). The city noted it also makes annual bond payments for pension obligation bonds and that funds have been set aside for police and fire pensions.
Police capital requests include line‑item amounts for multiple small purchases: $5,000 for additional surveillance cameras, $5,000 for a new water fountain, $10,000 for an equipment shed, $10,000 for awning replacement, $12,000 for two speed signs and $14,500 budgeted for 10 additional body cameras (all shown under machinery/equipment over $1,000). The police chief said the department "did add 10 body worn cameras" and that the city budgeted for an additional 10 as a contingency should appropriations elsewhere fall through.
The budget also shows a $15,000 increase for consulting services used to prepare a reapplication for the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) grant, which operates on a three‑year cycle. Separately, the drug forfeiture fund—controlled by the police and restricted to specified uses—was presented with no change from the prior year.
Discussion at the meeting emphasized that the wage increases reflect negotiated settlements and that the capital equipment requests do not fund new sworn positions. No vote on the police budget occurred at the meeting; the presentation will be carried forward as part of the committee's 2026 budget review process.
