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Council hears police budget flat at $16.1M; mayor adds $250,000 jail‑bill contingency to avoid enforcement gaps
Summary
Mayor Farrell presented a largely flat police budget and said the administration added $250,000 to the jail bill line to remove cost concerns as a reason not to enforce city ordinances. Council members pressed for details about vehicle funding, staffing levels and the effect of previously removed municipal charges on jail costs.
Mayor Farrell told the council the police budget is essentially flat for FY2026 and that the administration is budgeting about $16.1 million for police operations. He said the administration does not intend to cut police or fire funding and that the mayor's goal is to be transparent and accurate about what police will actually spend.
The mayor said the FY2026 proposal reflects that the city is still authorized for 108 sworn positions but is not funding all of them; he cited a reduction of roughly $363,000 that reflects the fact some positions remain unfunded. Farrell told the council he wants the police department to have agency to spend its authorized allocation and that the administration will avoid year‑end sweeps of unused personnel funding.
Jail bill contingency: Farrell said he included an extra $250,000 in the budget for the municipal jail bill so that concerns about paying county incarceration charges are not used as a reason not to arrest or otherwise enforce city ordinances. “I included an extra $250,000 in the jail bill so that when we talk to the sheriffs, we talk to the policemen, we talk to whoever, the jail bill isn't in consideration,” the mayor said, adding, “I hope we spend none of it.” He told council the jail bill is recorded under contracted services (line 230‑0101) and said the figure is intended only to remove the jail cost as an excuse for failing to enforce the law.
Vehicles and capital: Council members asked about capital‑outlay lines for vehicles. The mayor acknowledged a reduction in the budgeted capital outlay for vehicles in the police line and said vehicles will be acquired when funding and procurement allow; he said public safety remains a top priority and that the administration will return with budget revisions if needs change.
Union and pension costs: Farrell noted an increase in state‑mandated pension contributions tied to workforce demographics and said the city is budgeting accordingly.
Council members pushed back about removing municipal charges that had previously been used to reduce jail bills, and said reductions in community microgrant programs may be difficult for neighborhood groups. Farrell said the budget is a plan and that the council may revisit allocations in work sessions and revisions.
Ending: The administration left policing funding at a level the mayor called sufficient for public safety while adding a targeted contingency to cover incarceration expenses that could otherwise discourage enforcement.
