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Commission on Public Safety budget hearing highlights IT reclassification and computer replacement costs
Summary
At the Finance Committee's April 29 budget hearing, staff outlined the Commission on Public Safety's proposed FY26 budget (about $1.5 million) and explained an IT position reclassification, allocations for end-of-life PC replacements and software licenses used across public safety divisions.
Committee members reviewed the Commission on Public Safety's FY26 budget during the April 29 Finance Committee hearing, focusing on an IT position reclassification and a planned replacement of aging computers used by public safety staff.
Staff said the department's FY26 total is "a little over $1,500,000," a modest change from FY25; presenters reported specific line items including total salaries for FY25 of $524,450 and FY26 adjustments for cost-of-living increases. One position described as the public safety information systems director (application/project manager duties) is proposed to move from the commission's budget to the central IT budget; staff characterized the move as budget-neutral but intended to align reporting to the chief information officer.
Committee members pressed on the department's benefits and salary changes and asked why salaries appeared to fall while benefits rose. Staff explained that fringe/benefits are actuarially determined and allocated based on salary; some savings from not hiring are recognized later in actuarial calculations. Members also asked about a high computer-equipment line: staff said the commission funds replacement of Windows 10 PCs that are reaching end-of-life and that public safety equipment (police and fire-specific laptops and rugged devices) are included in that line. The department also budgets for software licenses (time-and-attendance, accreditation, fleet management) and maintenance/service items used across public safety divisions.
Committee members discussed the presentation format and requested additional backward-looking FTE and activity detail going forward; staff said the budget data were compiled in Excel historically and that reconciling earlier formats to current reporting would be time-consuming but feasible for a multi-year view.
No formal vote on the budget lines was taken at the hearing; the session was a departmental review and question-and-answer for committee members and staff.
