Olean police budget debate centers on staff cuts, vehicle replacements and body‑camera contract

The Olean Finance Committee spent substantial time Wednesday reviewing the police department’s 2025–26 budget as officials warned that two proposed position cuts and several imminent retirements could leave the department short-staffed and increase overtime costs.

The police chief said two positions were cut from the department’s 100 line, a change that reduces personnel costs by about $121,262 but would leave the department down about two sworn officers after accounting for a current assignment to the middle school. Committee members pressed department leadership on recruitment plans and the timetable for replacements.

Committee members and the chief noted rising call volumes over the past decade and flagged public‑safety consequences from fewer officers on patrol. The chief reported historic call counts and recent increases that, he said, have pushed demand for staffing and overtime higher; the committee asked whether overlapping hires or temporary coverage plans should be considered to reduce response delays and overtime spikes.

The budget discussion also covered vehicles and equipment. The department currently operates four 2021 Dodge Chargers and is proposing to replace one vehicle this year, with a plan to stagger replacements over multiple years. The chief said trading a leased vehicle might recover roughly $5,000 in equity and that he is talking with a leasing vendor about cutting an existing lease short if a replacement can be outfitted earlier.

Committee members asked about outside funding. The chief said he is working with grant consultant John Bolton on potential Department of Justice grants that could cover equipment and training and estimated a possible grant of about $500,000, but he said some federal grant programs were temporarily paused.

School resource officers and reimbursements were clarified. The newest middle‑school SRO is paid 65% by the Olean City School District; when school is not in session the officer is assigned back to patrol or used during holidays and summer. The department submits SRO salary costs to the district and receives quarterly reimbursements; the budget therefore includes the full SRO salary on the revenue side with an offsetting reimbursement line.

The committee also discussed body‑worn cameras. Staff said the Axon contract under negotiation would require an initial payment of $6,492 in the coming budget year and substantially larger recurring annual payments in subsequent years if the city signs a five‑year unlimited‑storage contract (the vendor’s sales proposal showed recurring annual costs around $34,000 after the first year). Committee members instructed staff to seek a signed contract and said they would discuss a purchase order or a resolution at the next meeting.

No ordinance or binding contract was approved during the committee’s discussion of the police budget; the committee asked staff to return with corrected line‑item figures and a purchase‑order or contract draft for future action.

The committee approved minutes from previous finance committee meetings earlier in the session and later adjourned by unanimous voice vote.