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Hot Springs council split over adding ninth police officer as budget shortfall looms
Summary
Council debated a Police Chief request for one extra officer with a package cost of $97,438. Supporters framed the hire as a safety and coverage issue; opponents said the city should first achieve a structurally balanced budget and avoid adding recurring expenses. The council was evenly split and did not add the position to the 2026 draft budget.
The Hot Springs City Council was sharply divided over a Police Department request to add an additional officer for 2026 after staff and the mayor presented a packaged, fully-loaded cost estimate of $97,438.
Mayor outlined the tradeoff: adding the officer would reduce the city’s stated general-fund shortfall from about $125,275 to roughly $27,000, but doing so would make a recurring personnel expense that the city would need to sustain in future budgets. "When I look at the 97,000, and I subtract…
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