Councilors weigh police staffing, response-time concerns and cost before finalizing budget

Council discussion at the May 6 working session shifted to public-safety staffing, where members questioned the affordability and local need for adding officers.

Several councilors said the bulk of traffic enforcement occurs on the highway rather than inside town limits and urged caution before expanding the local force. One member said, "If it's this big of an impact on our budget and we can't afford it, we can't afford it," arguing for a measured approach to staffing changes.

Staff noted a previous staffing proposal that included two full-time positions and mentioned an administrative allocation on the sergeant's line; members also raised the possibility of hiring auxiliary or part-time officers as a lower-cost alternative, and asked legal staff to clarify any guarantees associated with current personnel allocations.

Why it matters: policing decisions drive both operating costs and response capability. Councilors expressed concern about response times for serious calls versus lower-priority traffic work and asked staff to compile focused data comparing current response times, where incidents occur (highway vs. in-town), and cost estimates for proposed staffing options.

Next steps: councilors agreed to schedule a separate, longer meeting to review data and firm cost estimates before making staffing commitments as part of the final budget process. No hiring decisions were made during the session.