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Police and fire costs drive FY26 budget discussion; city explores county partnerships and ESD options
Summary
Staff told council public safety is the major driver of FY26 general‑fund increases and outlined pay changes, hiring efforts, EMS modernization and options for county partnerships and emergency services districts to share costs.
City staff told council public safety spending is the main cost driver in the FY26 budget and discussed a mix of pay adjustments, hiring, intergovernmental options and service changes to address rising costs.
Scale of the issue: presenters said public safety costs have grown faster than other departments and noted the city has recently reduced police vacancies from over 50 to under 20. Staff told council that about 20% of fire runs occur in the county and estimated that the county calls cost the general fund roughly $10 million—described in the presentation as equivalent to “5 pennies on the tax rate.” The city’s total public safety cost in the presentation was described as roughly $99 million.
Fire retirement, pay and EMS: staff described a firefighter pay restructure intended to raise starting pay (referenced as about $65,000 for new firefighters), reduce pay compression among ranks, and manage actuarial impacts on the firefighter retirement fund to avoid triggering additional contribution requirements. Presenters said the plan was reviewed by the city’s actuary. The city also plans to modernize EMS billing and operations: staff expect a transition that could increase EMS collections by a conservatively estimated 15–30% (about $1.5–$3 million), according to staff comments.
Police hiring and equipment: presenters described two recent police academy graduations and an over‑hire approach to keep staffing levels up; the department reported the lowest vacancy levels since 2018. The budget includes step and cost‑of‑living adjustments and funds replacement of bulletproof vests and a 3D scanning system for crime‑scene documentation. Staff also discussed regional radio and communications improvements and said a regional Motorola radio implementation is complete.
County partnerships and ESDs: staff discussed options to manage county service demands, including conversations about emergency services districts (ESDs) and possible county partnerships. Presenters said ESDs are tools other jurisdictions use to fund fire and EMS and described how an ESD could be structured to assess service costs across county areas; staff emphasized that county approvals and intergovernmental negotiations would be required.
Enforcement and operations: the police presentation detailed several enforcement operations, including narcotics investigations and actions against illicit massage businesses; staff noted multi‑agency work with state and federal partners and at least two emergency closures connected to illicit massage operations.
Why it matters: staff framed public safety investments as core services that Midlanders expect, while also noting the fiscal pressure of run volumes and regional service demand. Council was asked to consider revenue and partnership tools to make public safety funding sustainable.
