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Selma staff outline 2025–26 budget requests including police, fire and public-works staffing
Summary
Department heads told the Selma Town Council on March 6 that growth is stretching public safety and infrastructure and requested new hires and capital replacements for the 2025–26 budget cycle, including four patrol officers for the police department and three firefighters for the fire department.
Selma department heads presented prioritized needs to the town council on March 6 as the town prepares its 2025–26 budget, citing rapid growth and rising service demand.
Staff-level presenters from police, fire, public works, electric, water/sewer, parks and recreation, and finance gave inventories of personnel and capital requests the council will consider during budget work this spring.
Police Chief Hughes said the department wants four additional patrol officers—one for each shift—and a detective to respond to the town's growth. “We’re asking for 4 patrol officers that would put 1 on each shift as well as a good test in investigation,” Hughes said. He also asked the council to review a department pay study to remain competitive with surrounding agencies.
Fire department leadership told the council call volume has climbed sharply. “Call load has gone up approximately a 50 calls a year. The first year I was here, we’re running about 300 calls, and we’re at about 1,700 this year,” the fire chief said, and requested three additional firefighters so the department can field two companies at all times.
Public works described a long list of replacement and new equipment — backhoe, excavator, dump truck, a crane service truck, a pull‑behind air compressor and generators for the water plant and lift stations — and asked for a five‑person street crew (one crew leader and four maintenance workers) to handle potholes, road cuts and sign maintenance. The public-works presenter also said staff has requested a 10% pay increase for that department; similar 10% requests were mentioned for water/sewer and electric divisions.
Parks & Recreation and the library said operations are back to adequate staffing. Parks staff noted pending land acquisition for a nature-preserve trail that will need funding in the next fiscal year; the library requested funds to replace older public computers to support job-seekers and students.
The finance department requested dedicated capacity for grant management, describing the need for at least one full-time staff member with experience in grants administration to maximize and track external funding.
Town leaders said materials and formal budget proposals will be assembled over the coming weeks and the town manager will present recommendations for council consideration.
Ending: The council treated these presentations as informational; specific budget amendments and personnel decisions will appear in upcoming budget sessions and in the manager’s formal budget recommendation.
