Shenandoah council raises tax rate to fund police pay parity and staffing

The Shenandoah City Council voted Aug. 27 to publish a proposed property tax rate of $0.2021 per $100 of assessed valuation, a measure city staff said is needed to fund a police pay-parity plan and shore up staffing.

Finance staff (Lisa) told council the pay-parity proposal — designed to make Shenandoah more competitive with recent raises at larger nearby agencies — would increase the city's cost for current sworn staffing by about $383,000 for the coming year. Lisa said the city’s “no new revenue” rate would yield insufficient funds and that, based on certified values and debt-service constraints, a rate near $0.1721 or higher would better position the city to cover those expenses; after discussion the council set 0.2021 for the public notice required before a formal public hearing and adoption.

Police leadership described persistent vacancy and retention pressures. The police chief said the department is funded for 28 sworn officers but is currently short four patrol officers, and argued that underfunding pay risks longer response times, increased overtime and officer burnout. The chief urged the council to consider competitive starting pay and increases to certification pay to retain and recruit officers.

Council members debated trade-offs between property taxes and service levels. Several members said public safety is central to budget decisions; one councilmember who opposed raising the rate warned of impacts on homeowners but acknowledged the need to maintain police staffing. The motion to set the rate at 0.2021 was made by Councilman Bridal, seconded by Councilman Pollard, and carried on voice vote.

What happens next: The rate set on Aug. 27 is the published figure for the statutorily required public notice. A public hearing will follow per state law, and the council may adopt a final tax rate at a subsequent meeting after hearing public input and any additional budget refinements.