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Flagstaff and Williams constables ask board for small staffing, radio and operations increases amid rising evictions and warrants
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Summary
Flagstaff and Williams constables told the Coconino County Board of Supervisors that eviction activity and warrant work are climbing and asked for modest budget increases: Flagstaff requested more hours for an operations manager and dispatch funding; Williams sought radio maintenance and ammunition funding.
Flagstaff and Williams elected constables told the Coconino County Board of Supervisors during the day‑three budget review that civil enforcement work has risen and modest budget increases are needed to keep offices operating safely.
Linda Kaczynski, speaking for the Flagstaff constable’s office, said warrant and eviction activity has grown sharply and stressed the labor intensity of the work. “Last year, we did 1,591 warrants. We brought in $325,751 in 1 year, just in satisfied warrants,” she said, noting a long‑running grant paid for CLEAR software used to locate people and that her office regularly fields requests from other agencies for assistance (Linda Kaczynski).
Kaczynski outlined three increment requests the elected constables submitted: an increase in operations manager hours (to convert a long‑standing temporary position to a regular part‑time role with benefits), funding to cover retirement contributions triggered by hours worked, and support for radio/dispatch services. She said the manager’s recommended budget includes one of those items (radio dispatch to the City of Flagstaff), while two requests were not recommended by management because prior reclassifications and CPI adjustments had effectively increased department funding.
Supervisor questions focused on the demographics and locations of evictions (Kaczynski said many involve tenants in apartments, often parents in their late 20s–30s), the contents of the handouts constables give to people facing eviction and whether those resources could be shared with Health & Human Services, and the operations and safety needs for lone constables working in rural areas. Kaczynski said part‑time coverage has increased and she will press for a full‑time deputy constable and more office personnel to lessen the need to rely on backup from other agencies.
Gregory King, constable for Precinct 3 (Williams), described a smaller budget and asked for a $600 operating increase: roughly $300 for annual radio maintenance and $300 for service‑carry ammunition for duty weapons. He said radios remain critical because cell coverage is unreliable in parts of his territory and noted a roughly $7,500 leftover from an earlier radio grant that helped first‑year operating costs (Gregory King).
County finance staff told supervisors the manager’s recommendations reflect prior adjustments—such as moving motor‑pool repair costs out of constable budgets and applying CPI increases—so several submitted increment requests were not recommended for new general‑fund support. Supervisors asked staff to provide more detailed materials and for constable offices to work with HHS on shared eviction‑assistance materials.
What happens next: the Board will consider the constables’ requests along with other departmental priorities as it finalizes FY27 budget decisions. The manager recommended one radio‑dispatch increment be included; the Board can choose to fund additional staffing or operational items during budget deliberations.
