Needles council approves midyear budget adjustments but declines to add a new police officer

The Needles City Council approved a midyear budget amendment correcting two post-adoption events: an employee-contract settlement for the sheriff’s department and a $181,000 grant for park and walking-path work at Jack Smith Point. Staff reported an approximately $45,000 positive cash-flow variance has been placed into the reserve fund.

Council members asked staff whether the midyear amendment included money to add a sworn officer. Staff responded that the request to create a new officer position—estimated at roughly $200,000—was not funded in the midyear package because doing so would have required cutting other programs; the finance committee did not support funding the position at this time.

The council then opened public comment on the budget item. A handful of residents spoke; one requested a moment of silence for a recently deceased community member. After discussion, a motion to approve the midyear budget amendment was moved and seconded; a roll-call vote was recorded and the motion passed with the vote counts entered on the record.