A lopsided budget and the need to prioritize means Clarkston police must wait another year’at least’for the new police vehicle the department’s been saying it needs for the last several years.
During its most recent meeting, the Clarkston City Council approved budget amendments that lopped $27,810 from the $291,949 police budget.
Of that, $4,800 had been allocated for motorcycle lease.
‘With the parades and other events we have during the summer, we absolutely have to have them,? said Clarkston Police Chief Dale LaCroix. ‘I was able to move some other money around in my budget, so we’ll still be getting the motorcycles.?
Another $9,000, which was earmarked to replace in-car cameras, was also reallocated out of the police budget.
The cameras, LaCroix explained, are important for recording a number of situations, and help document solid evidence and reduce hearsay.
‘The ones we have are old,? LaCroix said. ‘Very old. We’re still using VHS tapes. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.?
In addition, $15,000, earmarked for the otherwise-empty vehicle reserve fund, was also cut from the police budget.
One of the city’s patrol cars is about 10 years old, the other approximately eight years old. The average police vehicle, LaCroix said, is on the road about three years.
‘We need a new police car, it’s a serious problem that can’t be neglected,? said Mayor Stephen Arkwright. ‘We haven’t figured out how we’re going to do it yet, but (LaCroix) has done a great job of running the department on the budget we have and adapting to the cuts we’ve had to make.
Much of the money chopped from the city’s police budget was transferred to the major ($8,000) and local ($2,000) road fund.
The city’s total amended budget currently stands at $792,808, including a fund balance of $16,632.
‘We’ll definitely have to amend again before the end of the budget year,? said Arkwright, noting the budget committee has been meeting several times each month to restructure the city’s approach to financial planning.
The 2009-2010 fiscal year begins July 1.