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Residents urge supervisors not to cut school resource officers as budget shortfall debated
Summary
Parents and residents urged the Board of Supervisors to preserve school resource officers while commissioners and staff debated how to close a multi‑million dollar budget gap and how local revenues (including casino proceeds) are allocated.
Public commenters pressed the Board of Supervisors on the safety impact of proposed budget cuts, saying reductions to school resource officers would harm students and remove important training and on‑site response.
"If officer had not been there at that time that situation escalated," said Paul, who identified himself as a parent during public comment. Multiple speakers described officers as both immediate responders and daily trainers who build trust with students.
The comments came amid an extended staff explanation of the county’s budget accounts. A finance representative told the board that local revenues, including casino receipts and sales tax, form a single pool and that assigning dollars to one department reduces what is available elsewhere. "It's all local one way or the other," the staff member said, summarizing the effect that moving money between categories has on the county’s total local funding.
Board members questioned whether certain amounts—such as a $900,000 figure and a reported $29 million 'total county fund'—are already designated for specific purposes or available for reallocation. A commissioner asked whether a $1 million item was part of the shortfall the board must close; staff responded that the figure was included in the overall totals and that moving funds would require cuts elsewhere or additional local revenues.
The board discussed the tradeoffs of shifting local dollars to public safety or education. Staff warned that reducing certain local contributions could affect state reimbursements: "If we was try to take 500,000, the state will take 1.5 from them," the staff member said, explaining potential clawbacks or funding formula impacts.
No formal reduction to school resource officers was approved during the meeting. Chair remarks after public comment thanked residents for attending and said the board would continue working toward an outcome that addresses the county’s fiscal shortfall and public safety concerns.
The board did not set a vote on a specific staffing cut during the session; commissioners said they would continue budget deliberations at upcoming meetings and would bring finalized appropriation language for schools and other departments in June.
