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Billings police request 7.8% budget increase; chiefs cite contract costs and new technology investments
Summary
The police department described a proposed FY27 budget increase driven largely by contractual pay obligations and technology upgrades, including a $665,000 Axon transition paid this year and a records management system (RMS) that may require a future $1 million capital request and recurring subscription costs.
Billings Police Department leaders told the council Monday that their FY27 request reflects unavoidable personnel and contractual commitments and critical technology upgrades the department says are necessary to maintain response times and investigative capacity.
The department’s proposed budget would increase from an adopted FY26 level of roughly $35 million to a proposed FY27 figure near $37.8 million — a year‑over‑year increase the chief described as about $2.76 million, or 7.8% — with personnel costs and negotiated pay increases driving the largest share of the change. ‘‘The year over year change is driven almost entirely by obligations that we cannot avoid, negotiated wages, benefits, retirement contributions, and the technology that supports accountability and evidence management,’’ the chief said.
Technology investments: the police presented two linked technology items. First, the department is transitioning from WatchGuard to an Axon evidence and body‑worn camera platform; the chief said the FY27 cost for that transition is about $665,000 and that staff reallocated existing funds to pay the FY27 cost without asking the council for new dollars. He estimated ongoing subscription costs at roughly $6.10 per user per year within the Axon model. Second, a records management system (RMS) request arrived late in the process; the chief and finance staff estimated a possible FY28 capital need of roughly $1,000,000 shared across agencies, with ongoing subscription costs that could require a future budget request (the chief said the city’s share could be significant and that the issue will be returned to council if grants or other savings are not found).
Operational and investigative costs such as SANE exams and hospital blood draws for forensic evidence have also risen substantially, the chief said, and the department expects these to continue pressuring investigations budgets.
Staffing: the department currently has 171 sworn officers on payroll (budget authority for 177 sworn) and described ongoing hiring and training pipelines, with 31 recent applicants and an anticipated academy cohort. The chief said the Axon platform is already producing efficiency gains — faster evidence uploads, improved integration of citizen video, and time savings that could offset some staffing costs over time.
Council reaction: members pressed for precise ongoing subscription escalators in vendor contracts and whether the Axon purchase could be treated as a one‑time capital allocation rather than an ongoing operational commitment. Some council members asked whether another public safety levy might be needed if structural revenue pressures continue; the chief said a future levy is an option but emphasized that staff will exhaust grants and efficiency measures first.
There was no vote on any police budget item Monday; the presentation was for council review during the budget work sessions ahead of adoption.
