Charts, graphs and tables littered Police Chief Michael Metzler’s budget presentation to the Board of Finance Monday.
Anything they could want to know, the police chief was ready to answer in great detail.
Well, almost anything.
“As usual, I won’t discuss the first three,” Metzler said.
Those first three line items were all related to department salaries, with his own being item 101.
The police budget proposes a salary increase for Metzler from $93,043 to $95,840.
Captain and lieutenant salaries, lines 102 and 103 respectively, show a similar increase.
Finance Board member Bill Paecht asked Metzler about the salaries anyway. He wanted to know why an increase was put forth when everyone with a union contract in the town had been asked to take a zero increase.
He was told the Board of Police Commissioners asked for and approved the 3 percent increase. Metzler attached a note to the budget that his new rate is $45.90 an hour.
In all, the police budget proposal climbs to $3.76 million in 2010 – 2011 from $3.51 million in 2009 – 2010. That comes after Metzler worked with the police commissioners to shave $101,000 from his initial proposal to the Board of Police Commissioners.
If requested to prune back his budget even more, Metzler said the most obvious cut would be the supernumeraries. The current budget includes $25,000 for the three supernumeraries. One is out on leave, one is described as “coming and going” and the third only puts in six hours a week, according to Metzler. He is only requesting $20,000 for the positions for 2010 – 2011.
“It has almost become fruitless to have them,” Metzler said.
While the supernumeraries might be eliminated, $9,000 is being sought to help replace the department’s canine. The operating budget allocates $1,750 to care for the employed canine.
“The one we have is getting a bit long in the tooth,” the chief said.
The budget also includes three squad cars to replace part of the fleet. The old cars would be either traded in or given to other town departments. Metzler’s capital budget proposal includes the vehicles, as well as another three new vehicles each year for the next five years.
“We need the cars otherwise maintenance will go threw the roof,” Metzler said.
The budget includes items to outfit the remainder of the fleet with GPS units as well. Ten cars have the units now, and they allow for more than just tracking the cars. The system allows the police to scout a property using the GPS data to examine building layouts.
The smallest item in the budget is $150 for liability insurance to cover the department when it needs to go onto someone’s property.
Board of Finance Chairman Mark Thompson said, “I didn’t know you could get insurance that cheap anymore,” said Mark Thompson, chairman of the Board of Finance.
By 2015, Metzler wants to add two officers to the force, bringing the total department manpower up to 43 officers.
