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Town approves nearly $1 million SRO budget amendment as county, schools negotiate reimbursements
Summary
The board approved Budget Amendment #22 (about $992,000) to cover the first-year costs of a School Resource Officer (SRO) program, including vehicles and equipment. Town staff said roughly $567,000 is expected to be reimbursed by county or school partners and discussions continue about the remaining amount.
Hope Mills approved a budget amendment totaling about $992,000 to fund the first year of its SRO and associated programs, including vehicles, equipment and personnel costs. The Police Chief told the board the program is staffed but that the town absorbed initial costs mid‑year; the school district and county have committed partial reimbursement.
Drew, the finance director, said $567,000 of the total amount is tied to school-district or county reimbursement, leaving an estimated $421,000 the town would cover if those reimbursements do not materialize. The chief said the schools have agreed to cover SRO salaries and that staff will seek the remaining reimbursements from county partners for crime-scene and other services the county formerly provided.
The board approved the amendment after discussion. Officials said next year those costs can be budgeted in the regular proposed budget to avoid a mid‑year amendment.
Why it matters: The SRO program affects school safety, police operations and the town’s near-term budget; funding stakes include multi‑hundred-thousand-dollar reimbursements and vehicle lease payments.
Next steps: Staff will finalize reimbursement requests and include the program’s long-term funding plan in next year’s proposed budget.
