Once again, it’s budget time.
That’s why The New Era, particularly this week’s edition, has been heavy on reports of local budget committees making decisions on how the city, school district and fire and ambulance district are going to spend our tax money this year.
That’s also why we’re voting on the only truly local issue facing Sweet Home-area voters in the primary election that ends May 17, next Tuesday: the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District’s request for a six-year $1.575 million bond.
Let’s talk about that first, and then we’ll discuss the city Budget Committee’s tie vote on funding for a new detective, detailed in our report on page 14.
The SHFAD bond is basically a continuation of the tax rate we’ve been paying for the last six years to fund SHFAD’s last bond.
We won’t go into a lot of detail – the list of needs is long and a detailed account can be found by entering “SHFAD” under the “Archives” pull-down at sweethomenews.com.
But a quick glance shows that the bond will pay for building construction and maintenance (leaking roofs, space issues), apparatus (replacement of aging engines and ambulances), equipment (replacement of expiring self-contained breathing apparatus, “jaws of life” extrication tools that actually work, functional radio equipment), etc.
There’s no question that we, the public, will need the services that make this equipment necessary. We are, though, concerned that steadily increasing costs are forcing us into this position of approving recurring bonds to keep the fire department afloat. We already have to approve regular option levies to fund our police and sheriff’s services, but that is because of quirks in state law that aren’t Sweet Home’s fault. That’s risky enough for us, as a community.
The fact is, we need – or will soon need – this equipment and these repairs, and this bond money is therefore necessary. But what also might be necessary is a look at how we got here and what needs to happen to keep our fire department from being dependent on these recurring bonds.
On to the detective issue…
The city Budget Committee split 4-4 last week on a motion to approve half a year of funding for a new detective. Councilor Jeff Goodwin suggested allocating the money so it is available if the council and police chief wish to add the position in the next fiscal year, 2016-17.
He noted that cash carryover the past couple of years has been substantially higher than anticipated in the budget and that the funds were available.
Councilor Bruce Hobbs outlined the strongest concern. The city is budgeting the first year in the five-year tax levy, mentioned above, which supports the Police Department. Sweet Home has historically had to save funds from the early years of levies in order to make ends meet in the final years of the levies.
Police Chief Jeff Lynn may want to add a detective next year to join a countywide drug task force, but he doesn’t believe the position is necessary until then.
The cost of a new detective is about $84,000. It’s a hefty price tag, and maybe adding the position this year wouldn’t be the most prudent move.
Goodwin is right, though. If it isn’t budgeted, the council cannot add the position later after thinking further about it and discussing it. That’s why we believe the Budget Committee should go ahead and allocate funds to an additional detective.
No good reason exists not to allow that possibility. The funding just gives the council the option if it decides to add the position.
Public Works Director Mike Adams often tells the Budget Committee and City Council that he is budgeting money to cover some things if they’re needed or the council decides to go forward with a project.
This is little different the way Goodwin is approaching it.
Committee members were concerned about budgeting for a drug task force that isn’t formed yet, saying that the committee should budget based on the city’s needs. Another thought the city ought to just budget for the whole year not the half year Goodwin proposed.
Sure. Good points.
A decade ago, the Police Department had two detectives. After the recession of 2008, the position went away. The city’s call loads have increased significantly since then. In 2015, they were the highest ever for the city in absolute numbers.
No doubt, the department has work for them.
The officers and the current detective have done a good job solving cases and arresting criminals too, but other crimes are still unsolved.
We could use another detective even if the task force never actually forms.
The biggest question is whether we can afford the detective over the life of the new operating levy. That’s something the council and staff can figure out in the coming months. It’s a good possibility that the city can afford it.
We suggest the Budget Committee allocate the funds and let the council and staff work it out this year.
In other city budget business, we think building four crosswalks in 45-mph zones on Main Street is unsafe and a bad idea, something committee member Dave Holley said.
Two already exist in connection to school zones, and when the highway is busy and moving at the speed limit, lines of sight can be blocked, and it can be tricky to notice someone trying to cross. And decreasing speed limits to 35 mph or 25 mph the length of Sweet Home just to incorporate new crosswalks also is not the way to go.
Goodwin suggests that our pedestrian accident rate is some kind of crisis. It’s just not. In 10 years, Sweet Home Police Department recorded just 11 pedestrian injury accidents. Of those, two were fatal. In both cases, the victims were riding motorized wheelchair scooters.
Goodwin suggested using street funds to pay for crosswalks even as he discussed what appears to be a growing need in Sweet Home, better street maintenance.
This was a little odd. If the committee were to allocate funding for crosswalks, it would make more sense coming from the Path Program for money, some of which originates in the gas tax.
In any case, new crosswalks should definitely play second fiddle to streets, a problem the city is going to have to wrestle with to figure out how to fund overlays and other more major maintenance projects.