Chief: Police budget largely flat after equipment upgrades; seizure funds limited by rules

The police chief (S6) told council the department is coming in under last year’s budget largely because aging radios were replaced with DMD support and several equipment purchases were one‑time costs. "We actually are coming in under budget compared to what we did last year," the chief said, noting the department is "not asking for any unfunded supplements this year."

Council members pressed about vehicle replacements and whether seizure money could be used for cars. The chief explained there are separate federal and state seizure accounts, with federal funds larger but more time‑limited; state funds can be retained longer but are smaller. "We primarily use [seizure funds] for equipment and officer training... it has to be law enforcement specific," the chief said, and cautioned about legal exposure for misused funds.

The budget conversation also covered reallocations—former K‑9 funds were moved into employee recognition and training—and contractual camera and radio costs that are committed line items. No formal supplemental requests were made during the workshop.

Council asked staff to monitor any surplus and recommend using restricted and unrestricted funds prudently for vehicle replacement or other capital needs.