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The Dover City Council voted 7-2 to authorize the hiring of two police officers at a salary of $45,094 each per year each despite a looming $3.4 million deficit for the 2013 fiscal year.
City council culminated a debate that began in November as the city dealt with rising crime that included six homicides for 2011 – up from one in 2010.
Juxtaposed with the cry for reinforcements for the police department was city officials’ concern about being able to afford salaries and benefits for two new full-time employees.
On Monday night, Councilman James Hutchison, a former police chief and former mayor, made the motion to authorize Dover Police Chief James Hosfelt to fill two of three vacant positions. Councilman William Hare seconded the motion.
But Councilman Dr. William McGlumphy and Councilwoman Beverly Williams reiterated their concern with the city spending more money than it had. They were the two dissenting votes Monday night.
“When I took this job 10 years ago, I said I would do everything in my power to make sure taxes would not be raised if we could avoid it,” Williams said. “I don't know if we're all going to have the guts to really come out and raise those taxes like we're going to have to if we keep spending money. I cannot support this.”
Monday’s vote followed up council’s Nov. 28 decision to table Hosfelt’s request to hire additional officers. They charged City Manager Scott Koenig and Controller Donna Mitchell to study the numbers to see if the city could afford to hire additional officers.
Initially, Koenig’s report Monday appeared grim. Mitchell’s calculations showed that the addition of one patrol officer would cost between $88,000 and $90,000 for wages, benefits and gear pear year, he said. From a purely budgetary standpoint, he said he would not recommend hiring three police officers given the estimated $3.4 million shortfall to begin the budget process for fiscal year 2013.
But ensuring the safety and health of the state capital were also important to consider, he said. There is money in the 2012 fiscal year budget to increase the police force from 90 to 92 – the highest level ever for the department, Koenig said.
In addition, the pending retirement of a custodial employee for Dover Police would save the city about $50,000 annually and help the department fund the two additional officers in 2013, Koenig said.
However, Koenig anticipates putting forth a proposed tax increase in order to help sustain these two positions, he said.
The Dover City Council voted 7-2 to authorize the hiring of two police officers at a salary of $45,094 each per year each despite a looming $3.4 million deficit for the 2013 fiscal year.
City council culminated a debate that began in November as the city dealt with rising crime that included six homicides for 2011 – up from one in 2010.
Juxtaposed with the cry for reinforcements for the police department was city officials’ concern about being able to afford salaries and benefits for two new full-time employees.
On Monday night, Councilman James Hutchison, a former police chief and former mayor, made the motion to authorize Dover Police Chief James Hosfelt to fill two of three vacant positions. Councilman William Hare seconded the motion.
But Councilman Dr. William McGlumphy and Councilwoman Beverly Williams reiterated their concern with the city spending more money than it had. They were the two dissenting votes Monday night.
“When I took this job 10 years ago, I said I would do everything in my power to make sure taxes would not be raised if we could avoid it,” Williams said. “I don't know if we're all going to have the guts to really come out and raise those taxes like we're going to have to if we keep spending money. I cannot support this.”
Monday’s vote followed up council’s Nov. 28 decision to table Hosfelt’s request to hire additional officers. They charged City Manager Scott Koenig and Controller Donna Mitchell to study the numbers to see if the city could afford to hire additional officers.
Initially, Koenig’s report Monday appeared grim. Mitchell’s calculations showed that the addition of one patrol officer would cost between $88,000 and $90,000 for wages, benefits and gear pear year, he said. From a purely budgetary standpoint, he said he would not recommend hiring three police officers given the estimated $3.4 million shortfall to begin the budget process for fiscal year 2013.
But ensuring the safety and health of the state capital were also important to consider, he said. There is money in the 2012 fiscal year budget to increase the police force from 90 to 92 – the highest level ever for the department, Koenig said.
In addition, the pending retirement of a custodial employee for Dover Police would save the city about $50,000 annually and help the department fund the two additional officers in 2013, Koenig said.
However, Koenig anticipates putting forth a proposed tax increase in order to help sustain these two positions, he said.
Councilman Sean Lynn cited 2011’s murder figures as reason enough to hire the additional manpower for the police force. Namely, six of the eight murders that occurred in Kent County were within Dover and two were on the outskirts of the city limits.
“We need the officers,” he said. “We’re the murder capital of Kent County.”
Councilman David Anderson said any financial concerns city officials had now would pale in comparison to the revenue the city would hemorrhage should business owners flee the city out of concern for safety.
“I can’t walk into a store without people saying, ‘Come on. We have to do this,’” he said.
After the meeting, Hosfelt said he would offer the jobs to veteran police officers from Selbyville, Del. and Camden, respectively, on Tuesday. Should they accept, the new officers would start Feb. 1 – giving them enough time to give notice and undergo some field training to become acclimated with the city.
Dover Police Master Cpl. Matt Knight, the new president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #15, welcomed the additional manpower.
“Anytime you get an addition of manpower, it definitely helps boost morale,” he said.
Mayor Carleton E. Carey Sr. thanked city staff and council for working hard to come to a resolution on new police hires.
“We can do some more preventative things,” he said. “We can do that when we have enough officers.”
