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Gibraltar council continues debate over proposed public‑safety millage as staff seeks inventory and staffing data
Summary
City leaders discussed replacing an expiring 2.5‑mill capital improvements levy with a five‑year public‑safety millage; council asked for an equipment inventory, NFPA substantiation and a staffing study before deciding whether to put 2.5, 4 or 5 mills to voters.
City officials on the Gibraltar City Council continued a detailed study‑session discussion about a proposed public‑safety millage that staff framed as a response to an unsustainable general‑fund trajectory.
City Manager Witherspoon said roughly 47% of the city’s general fund currently supports the Department of Public Safety, including police and fire, and staff proposed a five‑year public‑safety millage to replace an expiring 2.5‑mill capital improvements levy. He presented three rate scenarios — 2.5, 4 and 5 mills — and said the 2.5‑mill option would dedicate about $150,000 to capital replacement and free roughly $260,000 in general‑fund capacity for council to prioritize in the next budget cycle.
Council members pressed staff for substantiation. Councilman Dill asked for an inventory of DPS equipment and evidence showing recommended replacement timeframes; staff said the Brightly asset‑management onboarding is underway and that replacement recommendations follow NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards adopted by charter. Fire Chief Simon told council NFPA guidance drives replacement cycles for apparatus and breathing equipment (examples cited: apparatus rotation after ~15 years and full decommission after 25 years; SCBA service lives follow NFPA guidance). Chief Simon said inventory reporting and cited NFPA references will be provided to council.
Members also sought a formal staffing study comparing part‑time, full‑time and paid‑on‑call models and asked staff to pull analytics from comparable neighboring departments. Councilwoman LaPointe identified pension and Act 345 considerations and suggested estimating how much the city could collect or allocate to pension obligations as part of the options. Several council members recalled recent failed higher‑mill ballot measures and emphasized voter affordability; LaPointe and others said 4‑ and 5‑mill options would likely be a hard sell in the community.
Staff addressed timing: to place a measure on the November ballot, council would need to approve precise ballot language by early–mid August; otherwise staff could pursue a special or off‑year election, which council members said they preferred to avoid because of additional costs. Witherspoon said the presentation assumes no revenues from a potential data‑center project (a moratorium is in place), and that if a major new taxpayer arrives the city could revisit the calculus.
The council did not take any final vote on policy or ballot language. Council requested that staff return with (1) a completed DPS equipment inventory and NFPA citations, (2) a staffing‑requirements study and comparative analytics from similar jurisdictions, and (3) clear scenarios showing what freed general‑fund dollars would be used for if voters approve a millage. The City Manager and department heads committed to follow up with those materials ahead of any final decision on ballot placement.
