Sparta board transfers $50,000 to police fund and authorizes hiring an officer

The Sparta Board of Aldermen approved moving $50,000 from the general account to the Sparta Police Department fund and subsequently authorized Police Chief Trampus Taylor to hire an additional full‑time officer.

The fund transfer was approved at the Oct. 15, 2019 meeting by roll call vote; the minutes record that Alderman Iorg moved the transfer and it passed unanimously. At the Dec. 10 session the board approved Chief Trampus Taylor’s request to hire an additional full‑time officer by recorded vote 4–0, reflecting council support for bolstering department staffing.

The minutes do not specify the intended hire’s start date, name, or salary; the board directed staff to effect the transfer and delegated hiring authority to the police chief within local personnel policy. The action is recorded alongside other year‑end administrative items including city attorney and municipal-judge appointments and an agreement on biosolids handling.