Council cites firefighter and police staffing shortfalls as key reason for proposed tax increase

City staff told the council that the bulk of the proposed property tax revenue is intended to bolster public safety staffing and retention. City Administrator Scott Darrington and Fire Chief Drew Engemann described significant staffing pressure: "There were a total of 348 partially staffed or open shifts in 2025," Chief Engemann said, and the department responded to 2,243 calls that year. The presentation noted that Pleasant Grove has about 0.40 full‑time firefighters per 1,000 residents compared with a commonly cited national standard of one per 1,000.

Police Chief Keldon Brown said the Police Department also faces recruitment and retention challenges; staff noted a comparable staffing shortfall relative to the 1.0 sworn officer per 1,000 population benchmark. Administrator Darrington told the Council the proposed increase would fund "three firefighters, two police officers, reserves, and salary increases to retain public safety employees," and Council members discussed whether those hires could be phased or funded through reprioritization. Chief Engemann noted the cost of outfitting a new firefighter is about $8,000 and that part‑time staffing dynamics increase equipment and scheduling complexity.

Council members pressed for metrics showing how hiring would change measurable service outcomes (reduction in open shifts, improved response times) and asked staff to return with scenario options for smaller tax increases and line‑by‑line reprioritization.