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Fayette’s city council gave unanimous approval to once again place a sales tax before voters that would benefit the city’s police and fire departments. The public safety tax would charge …
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Fayette’s city council gave unanimous approval to once again place a sales tax before voters that would benefit the city’s police and fire departments. The public safety tax would charge an extra one-half of one percent sales tax on all goods purchased inside the city limits.
Voters narrowly rejected the tax during the most recent general election on November 8. The tax failed by just eight votes.
One outspoken opponent of the tax asked the council to delay the vote until he could present what he said were facts about the Fayette Police Department’s budget. Downtown liquor store owner Jeff Parks questioned the department’s fiscal operations and claims the additional sales tax would urge his customers to shop outside Fayette.
But the council’s next meeting will not start until an hour after the 5 p.m. deadline on Tuesday, January 24, to submit the tax proposal and ballot language to the Howard County Clerk for inclusion in the election.
“I appreciate Mr. Parks’ information,” said Southwest Ward Alderwoman Bekki Galloway. “I think we have to remember that the police have been underfunded for years.”
In June of last year, the council voted to raise pay for city police officers to $19 per hour for starting officers, up from $16 per hour. Current officers also saw pay increases. At that time, the city had only six officers. The department typically staffs eight, along with the City Marshal, who is an elected position. Chief Ford said if the tax passes, he would like to add a ninth position for a school resource officer.
“The budget increase was reflecting that,” said Galloway. “And then they were having to pay overtime because they didn’t have enough help.”
Police Chief David Ford said that larger departments in Columbia are proposing even higher pay for police amid a nationwide shortage of new officers. “In all reality, we’re still at the low range right now,” he said.
Most police cadets are also sponsored prior to entering the academy. Sponsoring is when a department agrees to pay the costs for academy training in exchange for a time of service. Fayette recently sponsored two new officers.
“It’s gaining and retaining new officers that is the challenge,” said Fayette Mayor Jeremy Dawson. “If one of our officers leaves, there are no new officers to find.”
This fiscal year, the Fayette Police Department is running 7% under budget, according to figures presented at the council meeting.
The proposed tax would not only be used to augment the police department’s budget but that of the Fayette Fire Department.
The fire department will soon need a new pumper truck, estimated to cost around $400,000.
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