Resident: 'What Benefit Do We Receive From Our Police Department?'

Chief Harris,

Can you provide some information in this forum explaining what benefits the residents will receive from our if an increase to our budget for our Police Department is ever passed? Thank you for keeping us safe. 

G. Depew

Chief Harris: G. Depew, this is a very good question.

I am not sure everyone is aware of how the police department is funded but we are now solely funded by the monies generated by the millages that are currently in place. We no longer receive any monies from the general fund. Because we no longer receive money from the general fund we had to request an additional millage last November. This was done to compensate for the substantial decline in revenue our other millages have incurred due to the falling property values. Fortunately, the voters approved this additional millage, however, it is only a four year levy and will expire when all of the other millages expire in 2013. There is one other millage that expires in 2012.

If we were to request an increase of one mill to further fund the police department, it would cost a homeowner whose house is valued at $200,000 an additional $100 per year. This is based on that $200,000 home having a state equalized value of $100,000. 

An additional one mill increase would generate approximately $950,000 of additional revenue for the police department. An increase of this nature would probably allow the addition of five to six officers as well as a couple of dispatchers, including the additional costs for increased equipment, etc. This would result in two additional officers on duty during the busiest times of each day. The obvious benefits would be increased patrol times and reduced response time to calls for assistance.

Next year and the following year will be extremely important for the police department and the community. As I previously stated one of the current millages expires in 2012 and all of the others expire in 2013. The fire departments millages also all expire in 2013. I would prefer to see all of the police and fire millages combined into one public safety millage. This would be the total millage amount currently in effect and be clearly worded as to the percentage each agency receives. An increase based upon future needs projections for each department could be included in such a millage request.

Thanks for this question.

Edward Harris

Chief of Police

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