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Mayor Staley urges safety, cites public-safety share of city budget and police staffing
Summary
In a short address from the Washington City Police Department training room, Mayor Staley reaffirmed the city's focus on public safety, cited that more than 80% of sales and property tax revenue in the general fund supports public safety, and urged parents to prevent underage and unsafe operation of scooters, ATVs and similar vehicles.
Mayor Staley, Washington City mayor, spoke from the Washington City Police Department training room on the city’s public-safety priorities and asked residents to take safety precautions as the community moves into summer.
The mayor said the city “remains committed to public safety and that means both our police service and our fire service,” and noted that, “consistent with years past, this year, once again, over 80% of sales tax and property tax that come into Washington City are used for public safety.”
That commitment, Staley said, is reflected in department staffing. He said the city currently has 39 sworn officers and nine civilian support staff and that the police force has grown by about 28% since 2020—“that’s about 10 officers, 10 new officers since I’ve been mayor.” He also noted the department uses a “community oriented policing approach,” working with schools, businesses and residents.
Staley warned parents to watch for unsafe and underage operation of scooters, electric bikes, ATVs, golf carts and similar vehicles. “We’ve seen tragedies in neighboring communities,” he said, urging adults to ensure young people follow the law and reminding residents that enforcement may include citations. He said police will be reminding operators and parents to comply with applicable laws.
The mayor referenced the police leadership by name, saying, “We are so blessed and fortunate to have Washington City PD led by Chief Jason Williams and all of the officers and civilian staff.” He closed by asking the community to support local officers.
Details mentioned but not acted on at the address included the police department’s upcoming 20th anniversary on Jan. 1, 2026, and that the current police facility on 100 East has been in use since February 2016. No formal motions, votes, budget amendments or new policy directives were announced during the remarks.
