The Village Board met with the Police Commissioner on April 13th to discuss a budget proposal that can only be described as staggering. The Commissioner is seeking to increase departmental spending by 41.78%, jumping from $1,254,687 to $1,793,132. If approved, this proposal alone would trigger a 10% property tax increase.
At a time when the Village Board should be demanding “bare-bones” fiscal responsibility, they instead appear to be entertaining an inflated wish list funded by hardworking taxpayers.
High-Cost Requests and Luxury Upgrades
The proposal is packed with discretionary spending and high-ticket items, including:
- The creation of a “Deputy Commissioner” position, complete with a department-provided vehicle.
- The creation of a $30,000 “Police Reserve” (Line 3120.600). This line is earmarked for “unplanned expenses.” However, such expenses are typically covered by the Village’s General Contingency line, which requires the Board to pass a formal transfer resolution. By creating a separate departmental reserve, the Village is effectively double-budgeting. Without Board oversight for individual expenditures, this risks becoming a departmental slush fund.
- A new $79,000 SUV for the Commissioner.
- Sending two officers to a conference in Orlando, Florida.
- Two new shotguns, two new semi-automatic rifles, and 24 new handguns.
- Construction of a community policing office, bathroom renovations, repaving the police parking lot, and the replacement of every computer in the department—along with a new offsite server room and monitoring system.
A Growing and Uncontrolled Tax Burden
Even if the Board slashes these discretionary requests, taxpayers are already locked into a minimum 5% tax increase due to generous pay raises recently approved by the Board, including an additional 5% bump in the 26-27 budget.
This “pie-in-the-sky” police budget threatens to push the community further into a financial hole. The Board must take a hard look at these figures and implement deep cuts. If spending is not brought under control—particularly the rising personnel costs—the Village may face a resurgence of calls to outsource night patrols or consider disbanding the local police department entirely in favor of more cost-effective alternatives.