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Oak Harbor police chief outlines staffing realignment, five COPS grant-funded positions and reclassification plan
Summary
Police Chief Tony Sloat briefed the council on reclassifying a captain to deputy chief and converting two FTEs to lieutenants; the department received a 2024 COPS grant funding five entry-level positions and will request vehicle purchases and a 2026 budget amendment to cover reclassification costs.
Oak Harbor Police Chief Tony Sloat briefed the City Council on April 22 about a planned command-staff realignment and how staffing changes will be funded. The presentation described reclassifying an existing captain position to a deputy chief role, converting two unfilled FTEs into lieutenant positions and filling five new entry-level positions funded by a 2024 COPS grant.
Sloat said the department applied for and received funding in 2024 for five new positions under the federal COPS grant; four of the positions are intended to staff patrol and one is a drug-detective position. He described a July 1 personnel realignment that would reprogram Captain Barton's position into a Deputy Chief role to clarify span of control and succession planning. "Deputy chief is our number 2 in command. It clearly defines that, by the title position," Sloat said.
Sloat said the two lieutenant positions are currently budgeted FTEs that were intentionally left unfilled during previous cycles; reclassifying them will not increase the overall headcount in 2025. There is no fiscal impact for 2025 because the positions are not filled and the department plans to carry funds forward and request a 2026 budget amendment to cover wage-range changes and two new vehicles that the department will need for the reclassified positions. Sloat said lieutenant testing is scheduled for the end of July and that candidates may be internal or external.
Council members expressed support and asked about timing and costs. Sloat said the pay-range changes shift the captain/non-represented salary range to a higher non-represented range for the deputy chief title; the exact 2026 cost depends on placement in the pay scale. He said that vehicle purchases will be requested separately through council authorization and that the department intends to fund the purchases from the 2025 police budget and then carry forward unspent funds into 2026.
Ending: The workshop served as the informational briefing; no personnel actions or budget votes occurred. Chief Sloat said the reclassification and grant-funded hires position the department for improved operational oversight and regional collaboration.
