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Police and fire chiefs warn council cuts could force next-year overruns; vehicle plan and equipment costs debated
Summary
Police and fire leaders told the Clinton City Council recent line-item cuts will force them to exceed budgets next year unless the council reconsiders where cuts were made; discussions focused on vehicle replacement plans, Axon body-camera/taser contracts and SAFER grant staffing for fire.
Police and fire leaders told the council the FY26 budget as presented includes cuts the departments say they cannot absorb without creating service or cost problems next year.
Chief (police), identified in workshop remarks as the department's lead, said the police vehicle replacement plan had been altered in recent years and that cuts in FY26 left his department short of planned equipment. He said the department's previous multi-year vehicle rotation had been reduced and that he was told to remove one vehicle this year; when he received the FY26 budget he found a request for three vehicles instead of two. "I can't afford to cut," he said, arguing the finance adjustments forced deep, untargeted cuts in police line items. The chief asked for an opportunity to work with finance to shift $29,000 within his department's budget to avoid operational shortfalls while keeping the department's total budget figure unchanged.
Police technology costs were a repeated topic. Staff and council members noted the police department has an ongoing contract for Axon body cameras and TASER equipment. The chief said the city secured a long-term contract that saved money over the 10-year horizon even though the current annual contract line is higher than in previous budgets; council members and staff said the line should remain clear in the budget so the long-term savings are visible.
Fire Department leadership explained their budget includes six positions initially funded by a SAFER grant; those employees remain in staffing totals even though the SAFER grant provides partial-year revenue in FY26. Fire leadership said the department's goal is to maintain current staffing levels to avoid brownouts and meet automatic-aid and ISO-rating expectations. Chief (fire) said ground emergency medical transport (ambulance) revenue has increased but that the city has not dedicated a portion of that revenue to vehicle replacement and capital needs; instead, ambulance and transport receipts roll into the general fund and are used to support multiple funds, which the chiefs said obscures capital-replacement planning for ambulance vehicles.
Fire staff highlighted mandatory overtime and minimum-staffing contractual provisions that drive budget volatility. The department's minimum-staffing and overtime lines have risen in recent years due to retirements, injuries and FMLA; fire leadership told the council that cutting minimum-staffing pay by 45% would undermine the department's ability to maintain safe staffing levels and the ISO rating that affects insurance classification.
Council members asked both department heads to identify which line items are essential and which can be shifted so finance staff can produce a revised proposal. Anita (city finance staff member) and department leaders agreed to follow their normal practice of meeting to reallocate within department totals where possible and to bring highlighted adjustments to the next budget session.
