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Police budget moved to Prop PD fund; department cites technology, vacancy savings and uncertain federal support for event staffing
Summary
Deputy Chief Jason Peterson told the council the Police Department budget has been consolidated into the prop PD sales tax fund to improve transparency; the department said it increased a vacancy savings factor, reduced miscellaneous operating costs and is awaiting federal COMBAT funding for multi‑week event staffing.
Deputy Chief Jason Peterson said the Police Department’s FY26 budget has been moved out of the general fund and consolidated into the city’s prop PD sales tax fund (presented by staff as Fund 67) to better account for policing revenue and spending.
"Our mission is to protect the life, individual liberty and property of all people within the city of Independence," Peterson said in opening remarks. He said the department is working to balance its budget by increasing a vacancy savings factor by about $1,900,000 and reducing roughly $200,000 in miscellaneous operating costs; personnel and contractual expenditures remain the department’s primary cost drivers.
Peterson confirmed animal control enforcement will move to police this fiscal year and noted that planned vehicle and radio replacements funded through public safety sales tax were reduced to balance the public safety fund. He said the department has fully deployed body‑worn cameras and updated in‑car video systems; it is expanding automated license plate reader (ALPR) grant work and replacing in‑vehicle tablets as part of a multi‑year replacement plan.
On staffing, Peterson said the department is tracking federal funding requests for extended event staffing tied to a major upcoming national event and has submitted a federal request for personnel costs; council members said they expect an answer by the end of the calendar year. The department also noted a requested increase in school‑district‑funded SROs that would raise school revenue if two additional SROs are provided.
Ending — Council members and the manager discussed fund accounting treatment and audit visibility; finance staff said transfers are recorded and tracked so sales tax revenue and expenditures remain auditable and segregated within the city’s accounting system.
