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Council staff proposes funding two police officers through trims and a new solid‑waste administrative transfer
Summary
Staff proposed a funding package to add two police officers without dipping into general‑fund reserves by trimming several departmental budgets, increasing the airport transfer and creating an administrative transfer from the solid‑waste fund.
At the workshop staff outlined a plan to fund two additional police officer positions (full cost about $150,000) without tapping general‑fund reserves.
The city manager’s office proposed several line‑item reductions across departments — trimming training, supplies and nonessential travel — that together would yield roughly $99,865. Staff then proposed using $15,000 from a new‑hire health savings account contingency and reducing insurance and other non‑departmental items to reach the target.
To eliminate the need to use reserves, staff suggested two additional revenue transfers: a $10,000 increase in the airport’s transfer to the general fund (the airport projects an operating surplus) and a recurring annual administrative transfer from the solid‑waste fund of about $50,000 to cover administrative costs currently absorbed by the general fund. Staff said solid‑waste is a non‑ad valorem revenue fund and can bear a modest administrative charge.
Council members asked for details of the proposed reductions that would affect police operations. Staff said the $3,000 reduction in police departmental supplies would likely be taken from the new/replace/damaged equipment line (one of several subaccounts) and that training judged essential (Brazilian jiu‑jitsu defensive tactics and required firearms/range training) would be preserved.
"If we're going to start to fund money back, more than likely, first place it's going back to is the police department," the staff presenter said, noting the city will prioritize restoring training if savings materialize.
Staff also provided context on local policing ratios: the city’s current staffing equated to about 1.12 officers per 1,000 residents; the Florida average is cited at about 1.4–1.6 per 1,000 and the national average about 2.4 per 1,000. The proposed additions would move the city partway toward state averages.
Council accepted the package as the manager’s recommended approach for the upcoming budget, and staff will present the trim recommendations to the budget review committee and incorporate them into the final budget packet. No formal vote was taken at the workshop; the committee will review the details before council action.
