Budget would add three fire lieutenants, two dispatchers and funding for police evidence tools

Finance director Erica Solis said personnel enhancements for FY2027 prioritize public safety: "For the fire department, we propose, 3 additional lieutenants for squad 5." She told the council those positions align with a Matrix Consulting staffing study and are proposed as midyear starts to coincide with expanded dispatch center capacity funded in earlier debt issuances.

Solis also identified two additional emergency dispatchers and a $57,000 allocation for a police evidence program to support digital forensics. Council members reiterated that retaining experienced staff and competitiveness in compensation requires ongoing investments, and they said those decisions were weighed against limited revenue capacity this year.