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Fire and police budgets include equipment upgrades and staffing notes; animal control vet bills may need amendment
Summary
Fire Chief Jason Clark and Police Chief Haines briefed council May 13 on modest increases in the public safety budget driven by personnel obligations, pensions and operating costs. The fire department reported a $209,000 increase primarily for personnel and pension costs and said a new ladder truck will return soon; the police budget included
Eastpointe’s fire and police chiefs reported moderate budget increases tied to contractual personnel costs, equipment maintenance and one‑time capital work at a May 13 council budget session.
Fire Chief Jason Clark told council the department requests a net $209,000 increase, driven mainly by personnel, pension and OPEB obligations; capital outlay requests decreased after recent projects. Clark said the department expects a ladder truck currently out for service to return within the week for pump testing and that a new engine has a manufacturer projection of September delivery. Clark said an older historic truck is on loan to the Pickat Museum in Detroit at no cost to the city. Police Chief Haines described modest line‑item increases, including $29,000 for mobile data computers (MDCs) that must be Windows‑11 compliant, $20,000 for prisoner video arraignments after higher than budgeted use, ammunition and range cost increases and new SRT tactical armor. The police budget also includes funds to convert a seldom‑used city van into a special response vehicle to carry personnel and equipment for search warrants and similar operations.
Animal control and animal care items drew attention: the animal control vet bill line was budgeted at $15,000 but the chief said current year expenditure has exceeded $40,000, which he said will likely require a budget amendment or recovery through court fees and cost assessments. Chief Haines reported animal control staffing currently includes two full‑time officers and one part‑time kennel attendant, and recent hires have filled prior vacancies.
Forfeiture funds were proposed to purchase crime‑scene diagramming software from Altron Corp for about $15,000 as a lower‑cost alternative to a $60,000 package the department could not otherwise afford; Haines said the purchase would be paid from forfeiture accounts rather than the general fund.
Ending: Council heard the public‑safety requests and follow‑up questions about vehicle contracts and staffing; no separate final votes on fire or police appropriations were taken at the May 13 meeting, but animal‑care vet bill shortfalls were flagged as likely to need a mid‑year amendment.
