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Scappoose council weighs budget scenarios, police staffing and parks needs
Summary
Councilors reviewed three general‑fund scenarios (bare‑bones, quality, aspirational), discussed deficits ranging from balanced to roughly $1 million–$2 million, debated whether to add police FTEs (target options 14–16 sworn) and considered parks and community‑program trade‑offs and public outreach.
The Scappoose City Council devoted substantial discussion on Nov. 17 to the general fund's level of service, public‑safety staffing and parks needs as staff presented three multi‑year budget scenarios.
Assistant to the city manager/city planner NJ Johnson summarized Scenario 1 (bare bones, balanced without revenue increases), Scenario 2 (quality operations, roughly a $1,000,000 annual deficit) and Scenario 3 (aspirational operations, roughly a $2,000,000 annual deficit). Council members said they preferred Scenario 2 (quality operations) as a starting point but asked staff to return with line‑by‑line analysis and to seek broader public feedback on appetite for fees or levies.
A major portion of the discussion centered on police staffing. Chief Lewellen and staff described the current sworn staffing picture (presented at about 10 sworn officers actively on duty, with two in academy/background processing and a target range discussed at 14–16 sworn FTE). Staff estimated an approximate all‑in annual cost of about $160,000 per sworn FTE (salary, benefits, vehicle/equipment lifecycle). Council explored cost‑sharing options for a school resource officer (SRO) with the school district, trade‑offs between paying overtime and hiring new positions, retention concerns (lateral outflow to higher pay elsewhere), and the community outreach needed to explain the service‑level tradeoffs and proposed fee structures.
Council also discussed parks staffing (current 1.4 FTE proposed to increase to 2 FTE), community programs and the Community Enhancement Program (CEP) budget. Members asked staff for a cost matrix showing the expense and service implications (e.g., what 2‑on coverage for police would cost, what adding detectives or SROs would cost, and how parks FTE increases would translate into fees). Staff agreed to prepare detailed cost models and public‑engagement plans before moving to any revenue proposals.
