Bel Air commissioners agree to add one police officer, offset by targeted cuts and capital moves

Commissioners scrutinized a draft FY2027 budget and directed staff to make targeted adjustments to fund one additional police officer while restoring certain employee programs.

Chair opened a prioritized cut list and said the top restoration goal was to fund another sworn officer. Chief Moore and staff discussed typical total costs for a new officer — salary, fringe benefits, academy/uniform costs and equipment — with staff estimating roughly $120,000 for a full year assuming family coverage. "I have the academy at $4,000, uniforms at $7,500 ... fringes based on salary," Miss Moody said while walking through the cost model.

To free funds, the board identified about $50,000 of current-year revenue items that could be moved to capital reserves (including Rockfield-related items) so the money could be used to restore discretionary employee expenses. Commissioners agreed to reinstate employee recognition budgets, the safety and attendance awards, and tuition reimbursement. They also left some wellness program items trimmed (quarterly lunch-and-learn sessions and gym memberships) while keeping core items such as water coolers.

"If we spend it on another police officer and then put a few things back in, there won't be much left for HSAs or other benefits," the Chair said, but commissioners accepted staff recommendations to prioritize the officer hire and restore a modest set of departmental and employee programs.

Staff will finalize the math and prepare the budget amendment language for Monday’s final budget motion. The board assigned Commissioner Taylor to carry the motion at the upcoming meeting and asked staff to return with any remaining adjustments and the proposed ordinance for the sewer rate separately.

The changes reflect the board’s trade-offs between personnel capacity, employee morale programs, and capital funding strategies — with the board choosing to prioritize frontline staffing in the short term.