While one Marion City Council member pushed Monday to re-hire two police officers, the mayor and other council members urged a wait-and-see strategy before spending any potential increase in tax revenues. No other member of Council or the administration supported re-hiring the officers, or anyone else, at this time.
The Finance Committee of Marion City Council met Monday, May 7, when council and committee member Josh Daniels proposed authorizing the funds needed to re-instate two police officers. The funding would come in part from unemployment benefits saved by re-hiring the officers. The rest of the funds would come from revenues that are anticipated from the decrease in the income tax credit that was passed by City Council last month. (Click here to read more about the decrease in the tax credit.)
Daniels said he understands the re-hires are just a small step and that more is needed, but said Council needs to start somewhere. He once again stated his belief that residents will have to consider increasing the City of Marion Income Tax rate. He suggested this should happen as soon as the November election. He said that when voting for or against a tax increase, residents will have to ask themselves if they want their police and fire personnel back.
Marion Police Chief Tom Bell said he appreciated Daniels thoughts and concerns, but explained that he worries, if City revenues don’t improve, he would have to lay off the officers again. He said if that happens, he would have to find even more money to pay the renewed unemployment benefits.
Council member Mike Thomas said he thinks the Council and Administration needs to “take a breath” and talk about what is wanted when it comes to staffing levels. He said they need to talk about everyone, including bringing people back in the police, fire, and streets department. Thomas backed up Bell’s concern that if the layoffs were needed again, then it would be possible that a third officer would need to be laid off to pay for the unemployment payments.
Finance Committee member and City Councilman Dale Osborn said that at last check the revenues for the City of Marion are still down. Figures from the City Auditor shows revenues are down about $300,000 compared to the same time last year. Osborn said he’s worried that things are just not improving enough. He stated that while everyone wants to bring back officers, it has to be done in a “fiscally responsible way.”
Auditor Kelly Carr said it would cost about $90,000, not counting insurance costs, to bring back the two officers. She also stressed being cautious before beginning to spend money the City does not yet have. Carr explained that the only money from the tax credit reduction the City will see this year would be from those people who pay quarterly estimates. The real bulk of any revenue increase will not be realized until tax time next year and no one knows for sure how much that increase will be.
Mayor Scott Schertzer echoed the idea of being careful about this issue is approached. He said the administration is looking at mid to late June, at which point, the majority of the City’s unemployment obligations will have ended and there will be a clearer financial picture. Through April, the City has about $160,000 more in revenues than expenses.
Daniels said he wished City Council had been taking this same fiscal concern in the time leading up to now. He said that from the beginning of government, it was expected to provide for its citizens’ safety. He stated that “this City needs to get a concise vision of what the future should be.”
“If you are unwilling to take this tax increase (the income tax credit reduction) and put it towards police protection, how can you expect to ask the voters for an income tax increase and have them believe that it will be spent on police and fire?” questioned Daniels.
Ralph Cumston said he too agreed with Daniels desire to re-hire police offices, but said, “We can’t spend money we don’t have yet.” He strongly disagreed with Daniels assertion that Council had not been fiscally responsible in the past and said the City has been very good with tax money in good times. He pointed to a few years ago when there was a $6 million carryover, but said Council had to use that carryover for the four years leading up to 2011 to minimize cuts in services.
Cumston, who serves as the Finance Committee chairperson, said the committee would continue to discuss the issue at their next meeting on May 22.
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