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Alpine approves Lone Peak Public Safety District tentative budget amid debate over wage strategy and prevention priorities
Summary
Alpine voted to approve the Lone Peak FY2027 tentative budget that includes a 5% average market adjustment, funding for one additional police supervisor, and a phased funding formula for fire — prompting a wide-ranging council discussion about recruitment, step/grade pay plans and the balance between prevention and response.
Alpine’s council approved the Lone Peak Public Safety District tentative budget after detailed Q&A with police and fire leadership about recruitment, pay comparability and prevention priorities.
Police and fire chiefs explained the district’s request: a 5% average market‑adjustment (the chiefs had initially sought ~8.4%), funding for a new patrol sergeant to close supervisory coverage gaps, and a change to the fire-funding formula between the member cities that includes a year‑one phased reimbursement. "We currently have 3 patrol sergeants and are lacking about 54 hours in the week where we have no supervision on the road," the police chief said, explaining the need for an additional supervisory post.
Council conversation turned to whether the city should fund higher increases, move to a step‑and‑grade system, or focus more on fire‑mitigation and traffic enforcement rather than across‑the‑board raises. The chiefs and Lone Peak director said staff will return with more comprehensive total‑compensation comparisons and a step‑and‑grade proposal for future years; staff noted benefits and data collection are time‑intensive and will take additional work to compare apples to apples.
After extended discussion about the short‑ and long‑term fiscal effects and recruitment risks, the council voted to approve the Lone Peak budget as proposed.
What’s next: Lone Peak staff will provide more detailed compensation comparisons, a step/grade plan and potential benefit comparisons for council review during the FY27 process.
