Jan. 09--Oklahoma City's 2018-19 budget adds 81 police officers and 39 firefighters, making good on a promise to strengthen the ranks in exchange for a 'yes' vote on a quarter-cent sales tax increase.
It will be several years, though, before all the new positions can be filled.
Eight consecutive months of sales tax gains and an optimistic budget outlook -- plus voter approval of the sales tax increase -- cleared obstacles to adding police officers and firefighters.
"It's certainly good news," said Mark Nelson, vice president of Oklahoma City's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 123.
When city council members agreed in June to ask voters for a quarter-cent sales tax increase, they promised to restore funding for 69 "frozen" public safety positions.
The council also promised to:
- Hire 81 more police officers, bringing the department closer to the strength recommended in a five-year-old staffing study.
- Hire 21 more firefighters, while restoring 15 positions cut from a downtown engine company.
The budget outline adds three more firefighters to be assigned as needed throughout the city.
Adding firefighters will enable the department to build and staff two new fire stations promised to voters in 2007.
Groundbreaking for the first of the two stations is set for March, in southeast Oklahoma City. The second station will be built on the southwest side.
Two years ago, the council agreed to "freeze" 48 vacant uniform positions in the police department, meaning they remained in the budget without funding.
Restoring those 48 and adding 81 -- 71 officers, nine lieutenants and a captain -- would get the department within about 75 positions of the 1,311 recommended in the latest staffing study update.
The study's desired level of service is based on the time it takes to respond to a life-threatening call and the ability to staff patrol shifts at the busiest times -- Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
An overall increase of 129 authorized positions is a "sizable" step toward meeting the need for police protection, Nelson said.
The next challenge -- and an improvement over two years of reductions -- is hiring and training recruits to fill the newly authorized positions, he said.
Accounting for departures and retirements, a net gain of 75 officers over the next two years is within reach and "would be good progress," Nelson said.
Budget documents indicate the city expects an increase of $15.3 million in the general fund budget for police, to $148.3 million. This year, the general fund budget for police was down about $600,000.
The 2018-19 fire department general fund budget is expected to be up $7.3 million, to $99.8 million. This year, fire spending in the general fund also was down about $600,000.
The general fund is the account for day-to-day operations, and 64.6 percent of that fund goes to public safety, primarily police and fire protection.
Voters approved the quarter-cent sales tax increase in the Sept. 12 bond and sales tax election. The increase took effect Jan. 1.
The city council will have its annual budget workshop next month, then conduct a series of public hearings on proposed spending for 2018-19.
The budget will be adopted in June, in time for the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1.
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