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Police and fire officials press for staff increases as overtime and grant changes shift costs
Summary
Police chief cited rising overtime tied to events and court work and proposed higher starting pay and additional officers; fire chief said SAFER grant positions are now in the general fund, the ladder truck is aging and the department is pursuing training partnerships with local schools.
Police and fire leaders told the council the public‑safety budget pressures stem from rising overtime, changing grant support and aging apparatus.
Police chief said the department has stepped up overtime to cover events, court requirements and increased arrests and recommended raising starting officer pay to about $74,000 to remain competitive. "In the desired budget, my recommendation was to raise a starting pay to 74,000 for officers," he said, and asked council to consider adding eight officers, two sergeants and six officers to create an evening shift and overlap that could reduce costly overtime.
The council questioned how much overtime could be mitigated by hiring and whether event staffing could be made cheaper by a mix of dedicated hires and overtime. Members asked for comparative cost analysis of continuing high overtime versus hiring additional officers.
On fire services, the chief said SAFER grant positions have been wrapped into the general fund as federal support wanes, driving permanent personnel costs into the operating budget. He described a 13‑year‑old ladder truck that remains in service but creates recurring heavy repair bills; the ladder truck is scheduled in the CIP for replacement in 2028, though members urged exploring earlier procurement or phased down payments because of long lead times from order to delivery.
Fire officials also highlighted a local workforce pipeline: a new EMT certification partnership with the high school that could deliver certified candidates to replace retiring staff and improve recruitment and diversity over time.
Council members pressed for analysis on overtime trends, the DMV grant impact (the city now receives about $42,800 via DMV grant versus higher prior amounts) and whether shifting to three smaller squads or 12‑hour differentials is feasible. The discussion ended with staff agreeing to provide trend data to compare the cost of overtime versus hiring.
