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Police outline uses for new public-safety sales tax; board favors 20% fund balance and citizen review
Summary
Chief outlined priorities for the new public-safety sales tax — recruitment/retention, step increases, equipment replacement, and a full-time animal-control program — and projected about $700,000 for FY2026; the board signaled support for a 20% fund balance and creation of a citizens-review committee for oversight.
The police chief presented how Smithville’s new public-safety sales tax will be used, saying staff expect initial collections to start Oct. 1 and to total roughly $700,000 for the partial fiscal year in 2026. "It's going to be more like slowly turning on a garden hose," the chief said of the revenue flow, cautioning that full-year effects would appear later in the fiscal year.
Staff proposed using the tax for contractual step increases already owed under bargaining agreements, for recruitment and retention measures, equipment programs (tasers moved to the new fund), and replacement of aging body cameras and radios. The chief said the current body-camera systems are at end of life, with a minimum repair cost of about $500 per camera if sent for service. The department also proposed building a full-time animal-control program with an estimated first-year cost around $113,000 (including $15–17k one-time costs) and ongoing annual costs in the mid–upper $90,000 range. Board members indicated broad support for a 20% minimum fund balance for the public-safety sales tax and asked staff to develop a three‑member citizen review committee to meet periodically for transparency and oversight.
