Perry Mayor and Council continued to hear from department heads concerning the recommended budget for the 2021 fiscal year, Tuesday.
Among those to address council, was Perry Police Chief Steve Lynn. According to Lynn, a concern of the FY2021 recommendation was the presence of four existing part-time positions and how to fund them. In a previous meeting, City Manager Lee Gilmour addressed highlights of the recommended budget, which included the recommendation that no new positions be added, and did not include part-time position funding.
Lynn explained that he met with Gilmour and an agreement was reached as to an alternative way to fund, for this fiscal year, these positions, which Lynn shared were integral to the operation.
“They’re not the people on the front line answering the calls, but they’re the ones that make it possible for the ones on the front line answering the calls.”
Lynn explained that these positions (pertaining to the Georgia Crime Information Center and National Crime Information Center, Logistic, Evidence, and a private sector forensics technician) prevented single points of failure.
This plan would involve moving funds from other places in the department’s budget to justify these positions. Lynn later clarified for Councilman Robert Jones that this plan would not be sustainable beyond this fiscal year, and that when it was discussed between he and Gilmour, it was discussed as a one-year plan due to the current situation.
Lynn shared with council that he understood Gilmour’s planning: that the worst case scenario would need to be allotted for in light of the unknown future effects of the COVID-19 crisis. Lynn said that he understood that the budgets for various departments would be lower, and that the police department’s difference was around half of a million dollars, but also that they were willing to do their part during tough times. Lynn requested that council consider returning the funding for these positions if it were viable after the results of the mid-year review.
Lynn also shared that in February, going into the budget procedure, the department had asked for one new full-time civilian position in logistics, which was not included in the recommended budget. Lynn said that this would be a future need as well, and added that the department is currently adequately staffed in regard to sworn officers (patrol, service needs, and investigation).
Also addressing council was Director of Community Development Bryan Wood. A subject that Wood brought to the attention of council, to give them an idea of cost, was the requested amount of $186,800, which Wood said would cover the cost of the 24 houses that the city had planned to demolish before the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Wood said that the department would try to work toward that goal, but that the demolition process could be time consuming, and he was not sure that the number would be met, though it was possible.
Wood later confirmed for Councilwoman Peterson that the recommended amount listed for this purpose was $5,300, and added that it was his understanding that if a demolition need was to arise, the matter would come before council for funding.
City Manager Gilmour further explained the historic practice was to fund demolitions from fund balance, and he echoed Wood’s comment of the matter coming before council if there is a need in the event that funding is available. Gilmour said that due to the tight nature of the recommended budget, he was recommending the minimum for this purpose.
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