Mayor breaks tie to keep extras in LPD budget

The Town of Livingston budget for 2022-2023 was approved in a called meeting Thursday, June 30, but not without disagreement over the Livingston Police Department’s allocations.

Livingston Mayor Curtis Hayes opened the public hearing and called meeting by pointing out that this budget has a property tax increase and an increase in the water rate.

“The proposed 2022-23 budget, I’ve got a 5-cent property tax increase,” Mayor Hayes said. “The penny brings in $9,108.”

“That would take our tax rate from $1.55 to $1.60.”

Alderman David Langford asked, “This 5 cents, what does that raise a person’s tax, like on a $100,000 home?”

“On a $100,000, it would be less than $9,” Mayor Hayes answered. “The city will only be gaining $45,540. Period.

“Now, obviously, the more your house is assessed at, the more that you’ll pay.”

The water rate will increase 7%.

“It will not touch any minimum bills,” Mayor Hayes said. “Anyone elderly using very little water, their rate will stay the same.”

Mayor Hayes also pointed out that this budget includes a 6% pay increase for all employees.

Fire protection will gain in personnel.

“We will have a total this year, 2022-23 fiscal year, a total of 12 firemen, including the chief,” Mayor Hayes said.

The budget includes a new garbage truck, at a cost of about $200,000.

“If we order in July, we might get it in a year,” Mayor Hayes said. “Same way with the chipper.”

A new chipper includded in the budget will cost about $88,000, and a pre-owned dump truck in the budget will cost around $35,000, according to Mayor Hayes.

The water department will get a mini-excavator, which will cost $62,567.

Chief Greg Etheredge had submitted a request that Livingston Police Department officers be paid for 84 hours instead of 80 hours.

“This would be equivalent to one extra paycheck for the officers per year,” Mayor Hayes said.

Corrections were made to the Drug Fund to comply with recommendations of the Comptroller’s Office.

Alderman Kelly Coleman said, “In my opinion, since the Drug Fund misuse totaled $352,000, which was reported in the Comptroller report, we’re still proposing to spend $69,000, roughly $70,000 in all these various programs, including $20,000 for police camp, National Night Out, etcetera, right?

“In my opinion, based on the current situation that we’ve been cited for with mismanagement at the Police Department, why are we going to continue, and I think this is a budget-related item because it affects these numbers, why are we going to continue to support the police department being involved in all these programs that have nothing to do with basic policing, securing, protecting, preserving evidence, and getting back to the basics of following policy? I don’t understand this.”

Mayor Hayes said that Chief Etheredge thinks its is good community outreach.

“Well, I disagree,” Alderman Coleman said.

He went on to say, “Based on our situation, our police department needs to focus on basics – policing, figuring out the policies of the evidence procedure, preserving, protecting the evidence, and not spending $23,000 on police camp. All these other programs, we’re not going to have the depth of experience in our employee base over there to be doing anything other than the basics of policing.

“So, I would like to see us take all that out until we get our house in order over there. We don’t need to be spending a dime on programs not related to basic policing.”

Mayor Hayes admitted that the City Council could take those items out of the budget and suspend those programs for a year, if that was their wish.

“Like I said, I think the chief likes it for community policing,” Mayor Hayes said.

“I’m not interested in what the chief likes,” Alderman Coleman interjected. “I’m interested in what’s best for the town right now, given the circumstance.”

Alderman Rex Dale agreed that the police camp and National Night Out helps with communication with the community and helps build trust with young children.

Aldmerman Coleman said, “I make a motion that all those programs be stripped for at least one year until we get our house in order.”

Alderman David Langford seconded the motion.

Vice Mayor Dodson joined the discussion, saying, “I just see way more good than bad coming out of this expenditure, $69,500.”

“I respectfully disagree,” Alderman Coleman said. “Based on current conditions at the police department, I think our chief needs to be focused on policing and straighten the house over there and not these programs at this moment.”

Mayor Hayes started to offer a comment and Alderman Coleman cut him off, saying, “You have a motion, you have a second, and I think you need to take a vote.”

“And I can discuss this just like you can,” Mayor Hayes asserted. “And what I wanted to say is, I’m not 100% in disagreeance with you, that’s what I wanted to say.

“But when you’re over at the Middle School or Allons Elementary, to see these kids’ faces when they get ready to go to police camp, it’s just unbelievable. It’s unbelievable. And some of these kids don’t get to go to a camp.”

He then called for a roll call vote.

Alderman Coleman voted yes, Alderman Dale voted no, Vice Mayor Dodson voted no, and Alderman Langford voted yes. The mayor can vote only in the case of a tie, and Mayor Hayes quickly declared, “No! I vote no.”

After the City Council went over the rest of the budget, with City Accountant Joel Parks on hand to answer questions, Vice Mayor Ken Dodson made a motion to approve the 2022-2023 budget, and Alderman Langford seconded the motion.

The budget was approved with Vice Mayor Dodson and Aldermen Langford, Rex Dale, and Alderman Coleman voting yes.

Immediately before the budget went to a vote, Alderman Coleman said, “I came here confident that I was voting against this budget because I’ve lost all confidence in our police department management, and it is 36% of our entire budget; however, I did not realize until I got here tonight that this new budget has the pay rate increase of 6%.

“In good conscience, I cannot vote against this budget because I think it would hurt the employees of the city, and I can’t do that. So, I’m going to support this budget because of that. I did come, however, to vote against it because I have no confidence in the $1.1 million that is in our budget and how it would be managed under our current police management.”

Then year-end budget amendments were considered.

A motion was made by Vice Mayor Dodson to approve the year-end budget amendments, and Alderman Coleman seconded the motion. On the vote, all aldermen present voted yes.

With no other business, the called meeting adjourned.