Fife council takes early look at 2011 budget

Fife City Council took an early look at 2011 budget requests during a workshop late last month.

Each city department prepared detailed budget estimates for next year, requesting everything from new equipment to additional

personnel. This early list of requests either fulfills a council goal set for next year or carries a price tag of $15,000 or more. The council is expected to formally review a draft of the 2011 budget during their Aug. 28 retreat. City Manager Steve Worthington expects at that time to have a little more certainty about the city’s financial future.

“Some directors have some fine mesh screens on these days because there just isn’t the resources anymore,” Worthington told council members.

The preliminary proposals include creating three new city positions – a police officer, a temporary seasonal worker and a temporary accounting assistant.

During this past year council has heatedly debated adding an additional officer to the city’s police department. However, budget constraints have quelled plans to do so.

“We could stay status quo with what we have,” Police Chief Brad Blackburn told council. “Is it the best for the city? In my opinion, no.”

Further, the police chief questioned the need for a school resource officer (SRO) within the Fife School District. Currently,

the city employs one full-time SRO at a cost of approximately $108,000. The school district pays $30,000 per year to subsidize the position.

“Are we getting the most bang for our buck?” Blackburn asked. “We have a great program, officer and school district, but are we serving the most people?”

Council member Richard Godwin contended that the SRO position is valuable for the city. “There’s a lot of respect and I think it gives them a place to go when they know there’s something going on. I would hate to lose that contact,” Godwin said.

Mayor Barry Johnson agreed.

“I see a lot of value in having the position in the high school,” Johnson said. “It gives youth someone to go to, builds rapport with the police department and gives parents peace of mind.”

Worthington admitted that adding the additional police officer would be difficult for the council this upcoming budget cycle.

“I know you want to do it,” Worthington said. “We can continue to work on this but frankly you need more money.”

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