By TARA LAYNE
The $24.8 million 2008 Goshen city budget may not include any new personnel, but City Council members voiced support Tuesday night for adding more police officers.
Council members voted 4-3 to approve a resolution presented by Councilman Daniel Grimes that states that the council is in support of finding the means to hire a few more police officers this year.
All seven council members said they felt hiring more officers was a good idea, but the three Republicans — Paul Scott, Bill Bloss and Chic Lantz — voted against the resolution, saying they felt it was an unnecessary vote as Mayor Allan Kauffman had already stated his plans to bring the request before the council sometime yet this year after the budgeting process is over.
Kauffman has said he wants to be sure that the budget has a good chance to sustain the added cost without returning operating balances to low levels.
The four council members who supported the ordinance — Grimes, Everett Thomas, Julia Gautsche and Dave Puro — indicated they felt it was important to make it clear that they were committed to adding more officers.
Police Chief Gary Penland said if three more officers are added, one more pool car will likely be needed. He noted that not all officers have take-home cars. The cost of a police car with equipment is about $26,000, he said.
The Police Department budget is projected to be up in 2008, from approximately $3.4 million to $3.6 million.
While the Police Department budget was the most discussed, council members also asked questions about other departments’ budgets.
The proposed budget for cemeteries is up from $189,727 in 2007 to $213,400 in 2008. Dan Liechty, director of cemeteries, explained that he would like to purchase a mini excavator to replace the 29-year-old back hoe that the department has been using.
Liechty said the piece of equipment would be shared by his department and the Street and Park departments.
The Park Department budget is proposed to increase from $1,733,150 to $1,784,650. Park Superintendent Sheri Howland said the department is planning two major landscaping projects next year, one on Ind. 15 at the entrance to the city where the “Welcome to Goshen” sign is located and the other at the “five points” intersection at Indiana Avenue. Landscaping projects make up $58,000 of the Park Department’s budget.
A final vote on the Goshen city budget is expected at the Sept. 18 City Council meeting.
