Police Dept. Will Be Eliminated If Budget Passes
The Monticello City Council passed a draft budget amounting to just over $2 million in the general fund with the primary budget cuts coming from the police department. The drafted budget will do away with the police department and cut $372,599.
The draft budget was passed 3-2 at the council’s regular business meeting Tuesday with Mayor Pro tem Bobby Jacobs making the motion and Councilwoman Katherine Alexander seconding it. Councilman David Wease was the other yes while Councilmen Cornell Williams and Larry Thurman voted no.
The proposed budget would allow the courts to function and keep a part time administrative person employed for six months. Other departments were cut as well but dissolving the police department was the largest cut.
There was little to no discussion when the motion was made on the budget, but the council has held five work sessions in previous weeks to go over the budget line by line.
Last Thursday the council went through several options pertaining to where to cut the budget when members learned of a deficit of just over $725,000.
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The option that was decided best for the city and was voted on Tuesday night was that of cutting the police department, cutting the city manager’s salary about $96,000 with interim City Manager and City Clerk Peggy Billerman taking on that role.
This option allows the court system to continue to remain operational for the next six months along with the police department administrative office.
The option that the council chose does not raise property taxes in the city but does raise the base fee for electric meters $2 per month, generating about $85,000 in additional revenue.
The Get Ahead House will also be cut by 15 percent. Currently the Get Ahead House receives $69,419 from the City of Monticello making the cut equal to about $3,100 per year.
The council cut $1,850 from its budget for travel and training. This was Mayor Pro tem Jacobs’ portion of that expense.
They also agreed to cut $1,000 for new running boards for the water department truck. There was much discussion about the city maintenance department during work sessions, as there is currently no mechanic, and the previous mechanic left projects undone and in some cases in worse shape than when initially brought in.
After these cuts were discussed the council still had about a $161,500 deficit and discussed other options including raising the millage rate by one half and possible furlough days.
Ms. Billerman stated to the council, “we haven’t raised utility rates or taxes but everything that we do is increasing in cost.
At the conclusion of the work session and the decision pertaining to the draft budget, the board decided to take the $161,572 out of the contingency fund to balance the budget.
Councilwoman Alexander said, “We try not to affect the citizens although we’re losing money on electric rates—they should be higher. Regulations and legislation show that electric rates are not going down. Water is a valuable resource and it’s becoming a commodity as well. Citizens don’t think we’re helping them but we’ve been keeping rates the same and all of our advisors continue to tell us to increase rates.”
Ms. Billerman said, “There is a silver lining and we can see the light at the end. We have to survive as a city until 2020. That is when our meters and bonds will be paid off. This is a really tough this time and I don’t envy any of you for having to make decisions about what to cut, but it has to be done.”
During the citizens’ comments portion of the regular meeting County Commissioner Carl Pennamon addressed the city in reference to the draft budget and the dissolution of the police department.
He said, “I am concerned with cutting the MPD by $372,000. I ask that you consider all of the logistics with giving the city’s portion of law enforcement over to the Sheriff. We have events such as the veteran’s parade and the Deer Festival where the police play an important role.
“My inquiry shows that 33-34 percent of the calls that come into 911 are in the city of Monticello. I ask that when you make your decision you look at all of the factors. The county will have to fork over another half a million dollars to the sheriff. If the county commission has to raise taxes two or three mills, the increase is going to have to be put on someone. Whether you do it or we do it, it may still have to be done.”
There were several others that spoke for the MPD including resident Janice Mann, former councilman Randy Strozier and part-time MPD officer Jeff Law.
The council asked that the citizens review the proposed budget and come to them with any suggestions.
Councilman Wease invited all of the citizens to come to the public hearing on the budget Monday, June 2 “to hear an honest, informative debate on the facts and this city.”
Mayor Pro tem Jacobs commented, “when we got our budget in a deficit at $750,000, raising or tripling property taxes was not an option for me.
“We hear from citizens currently that our bills are too high. Without increasing utility rates or property taxes, cuts have to be made. This is a dark day in Monticello and this is not easy. I encourage each of you to find out the facts and know the truth.”
Councilwoman Alexander said, “cutting budgets here is hard. It’s people that you know and they are not decided in one day. We are encouraging businesses—we want people here. We have to cut and this is not easy.”
Councilman Williams said, “We cut the police department entirely. We may have to pay the Sheriff’s Office so why not keep our own officers. We haven’t talked to Sheriff Pope and we sit up here and control people’s lives. The officers need a job. Me sitting right here my vote will not be to disseminate the police department. You continue to say that we need to get to those 5-6 years down the road, but we have to live now.”
Mr. Jacobs stated that “The sheriff is required to provide services to the city under the state constitution. It’s not just our city, there are a number of police departments closing for this same reason.”
In conclusion Mayor Bryan Standifer said, “In the 14 years I’ve been an elected official this is one of the hardest budgets. When I started there were 64 employees and a lot of businesses in Monticello. Due to the loss of those businesses and inflation we’ve had to adjust. This is definitely a political decision and is about financial solvency.
“This is not easy and can be a very personal decision especially in our community. We as a council have to look at the finances of our city. If the citizens see something that we haven’t, please, please share with us. We care about our people. Most of us have not had much sleep and have been on our knees praying. But it is our fiscal responsibility to keep the City of Monticello solvent.”
“The competitive trust that we currently get is running out. The MPD can’t go out and make $400,000 to maintain their department, it’s against the law. Just like the streets department can’t make $300,000 to maintain its department. There has to be a decision and at the end of the day we have to balance the budget.”
Prior to the budget discussion the council voted to allow the Housing Authority to purchase and install speed bumps at their expense.
They also voted to approve two bids for the downtown sidewalk project and the park to park sidewalk project funded through grants.
