Barker stresses public‑safety costs and volume of calls as budget drivers

City Manager Chris Barker told residents that personnel costs drive the budget and that public‑safety departments account for a large portion of spending. He said roughly 74% of the city’s budget is for people and that police and fire rank among the largest departmental shares; "police" received roughly 28% of general‑fund spending in the last reported year.

Barker cited workload figures to illustrate demand: the police department handled about 25,000 9‑1‑1 calls in a 12‑month period, the municipal court processed 16,382 cases, and the fire department ran about 6,103 emergency calls (3,731 were EMS). Barker added the city is proud of its fire department’s ISO‑1 rating and paramedic staffing, which he said help sustain response times.