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Administrative Committee forwards modest police budget adjustments including $9,255 radar grant and weapons replacement
Summary
The Administrative Committee voted to forward police-budget changes to the full board, including a $9,255 grant for three vehicle-mounted radar units, replacement of aging .40-caliber service pistols with 9mm Glocks, purchase of three Durango police vehicles and a $15,000 range-improvement allowance; net budget impact reported as $2,354.
The Administrative Committee on Sept. 23 reviewed and voted to forward proposed changes to the police portion of the general fund, saying recent equipment needs and a personnel vacancy partially offset the added costs.
Unidentified Speaker 1, who led the presentation, told the committee Major Locke had secured “a grant for the sum of $9,255 to purchase 3 vehicle mounted radar guns,” and that the amount had been added to the draft budget. The packet shown to members moved several line items so equipment and vehicle outfitting would be funded in the correct accounts.
The committee discussed replacing the department’s aging .40‑caliber Glocks with 9mm models. Unidentified Speaker 1 said the current pistols are about 10 years old and “they’re starting to have failures,” and argued the switch to 9mm would allow interoperability with neighboring jurisdictions and permit magazine sharing in mutual‑aid situations. The presentation included an initial ammunition purchase estimate of $3,533 for the new weapons and noted trade‑in value for older firearms.
On vehicles, the committee was told one car (vehicle 112) was totaled and the insurance payout is expected to be about $39,000. Unidentified Speaker 1 said staff recommended buying three all‑wheel‑drive Dodge Durango police vehicles (shown as $132,246 total in the packet) instead of a rear‑wheel‑drive Charger, with roughly $30,000 budgeted to equip the vehicles. The committee also conservatively estimated $12,000 in auction proceeds from four surplus vehicles ($3,000 each) to offset costs.
The presentation included a proposed $15,000 allowance for range improvements — described as an awning to shade officers while training — although Major Locke had estimated the work might cost about $10,000. The committee discussed timing and account coding for that item.
Unidentified Speaker 1 summarized the net effect: the committee’s line‑item changes reflected a net increase of $2,354, but offsetting items (chiefly the vacancy of a sergeant and delayed hiring) moved the operating‑balance deficit from $516,209 to $380,659 and raised the total fund balance from $442,611 to about $566,612.
After discussion and some follow‑up questions about the status of a separate grant for emergency management, Unidentified Speaker 1 moved to forward the packet to the full board for approval. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; the chair said staff will reformat the materials with Miss Marshall and submit them to the board for final action.
What’s next: The changes are a committee recommendation and must be approved by the full board before taking effect.
