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Council hears plan to expand contracted deputies and considers phased tax increases to pay for staffing
Summary
Town staff presented options to add a captain and two traffic deputies this year and to phase additional positions over several years, estimating an initial tax impact of roughly 1.37 pennies and a longer‑term increase toward about 3.4 pennies to reach the staffing target; council discussed reserve policy and timing of hires and vehicle procurement.
Finance staff and public‑safety representatives used the budget workshop to present a multi‑year plan to expand contracted deputy coverage and to explain the fiscal implications.
Brian (speaker 3) summarized a law‑enforcement staffing study and said the Draft 1 proposal adds a captain and two traffic units in FY '23, raising contracted deputies toward 20 personnel. The earlier study’s long‑term target is roughly 28 deputies; staff presented scenarios that would reach that level over three to four years. Brian said a phased approach equates to roughly 1.37 pennies on the tax rate in the initial year under one scenario and could represent about 3.44 pennies when fully implemented in later years, noting the tax‑rate “penny” value grows with property valuations.
Staff emphasized timing constraints: vehicles take six to eight months to procure and a July hire would incur six months of operating cost before tax collections materialize; for that reason some hires are shown as mid‑year (half‑year) additions in the finance model.
Council discussed fund‑balance and capital‑reserve rules. Staff explained the town’s 40% fund‑balance policy (an operating reserve) versus a capital reserve (restricted for capital projects). Brian said the council could choose to assign surplus revenue for operations — for example, to fund deputy positions — rather than rolling it automatically into capital. Council members asked whether lowering the fund‑balance target or staging the tax increase would be appropriate to free dollars for operations.
There was no formal vote on a tax change; staff said they would bring balanced budget options in Draft 2 and provide scenarios that show impacts of choosing immediate full funding versus a multiyear phase‑in. Staff also noted that contract negotiations with the county and the timing of revenue collections will affect the final schedule for hires and vehicles.
Next steps noted in the workshop: staff will prepare alternate budget scenarios for Draft 2, clarify timing and procurement implications for vehicles, and provide clearer graphic breakdowns of how general‑fund revenue is allocated across major services.
