Committee considers lowering police‑aid tenure requirement for small cities

Senator House (bill author) presented Senate File 4570 to the Senate Taxes Committee on April 20, saying the measure responds to staffing turnover in small police departments and would allow municipalities under 5,000 population to count officers employed between two and six months toward state aid calculations.

Jessica WRITTEN, city administrator for Proctor, testified that in a five‑year period the city lost about $46,000 in state aid due to staffing instability and estimated roughly $5,000 of that could have been recovered under a two‑month rule. "Even one vacancy or a short time higher can have a financial impact on cities already operating on very staffing," she said, explaining small departments lack redundancy to absorb turnover.

Fiscal staff told committee members the change shows no general‑fund cost in the estimate because it is a reallocation within the police‑aid system; however, the runs demonstrate both gainers and losers among local jurisdictions. Staff explained the mechanics: under current law municipalities count only officers employed six months or longer; the proposal would add those employed two to six months for small jurisdictions, increasing their officer counts and shifting apportionment percentages.

Members pressed for historical rationale for the six‑month rule, asked whether paid family medical leave could affect counts, and raised concerns about shifting dollars between jurisdictions. The bill’s sponsor acknowledged further research is needed and said she would continue to refine the language and run additional analyses.