Proposed Budget for Police Department Presented Tonight

The Stonington Board of Finance meets at 7 p.m. in the Stonington Police Station meeting room for a hearing on the proposed budgets for general government, capital improvements and the Stonington Police Department. While the meeting is open to the public the chance for public comment will not come until the April 8, 2013 public budget hearing.

During budget hearings in past years the police department was normally one of the first budgets presented to the Board of Finance. However, this year the board requested to hear the proposed police department budget towards the end of budget presentations.

The proposed 2013-2014 police department budget is slightly more than the 2012-2013 budget. For the current fiscal year the police department budget is $4,682,170 and in the proposed First Selectman’s budget for 2013-2014 the budget is $4,749,095. However, the First Selectman’s proposal is less than the $4,854,494 the department requested.

The police department requested $691,000 for headquarter’s expense including furniture and equipment, telecommunications, retirement fund, physical and educational incentives, but was granted $688,000. The difference comes out of the educational incentive proposals.

Here is the breakdown of the proposed police department budget from the First Selectman:

• Uniforms-Regular Officers: stays the same as the current fiscal year at $30,000
• Total-Headquarter’s Expense: up $29,500 from the current fiscal year to $688,000
• Total-Police Commission Expense: stays the same as the current fiscal year at $2,230
• Total-Regular & Reserve Training Expenses: stays the same as the current fiscal year at $24,500
• Total-Animal Control Expenses: stays the same as the current fiscal year at $7,600
• Total-Maintenance and Operation of Vehicles: stays the same as the current fiscal year at $168,500

Some of the department’s objectives for the upcoming fiscal year include updating and examine the five-year strategic plan, examining and upgrading dispatching services and working with the schools and community groups on issues such as school safety.

A complete copy of the proposed 2013-2014 budget is available on the town’s website.

Here is the upcoming budget-hearing schedule:

• February 27: General Government, Capital Improvement and Police Department budget hearings.
• March 6: Board of Education budget hearing.
• March 13: Budget deliberations.
• March 20: Budget deliberations.
• March 27: Budget deliberations.
• April 8: Public Budget Hearing 7 p.m. at Stonington High School