Where will OLOST money go in FY2018? Council allocates public safety dollars

If Columbus public safety officials could have their way, they would receive a combined $9.1 million for capital expenditures in fiscal year 2018.

But in a tight budget season, city officials say dollars in the Other Local Option Sales Tax fund are limited, creating a highly competitive budgeting arena.

“The revenue is down about $1.3 million for OLOST,” said Deputy City Manager Pam Hodge at a May 2 budget review meeting. “So it did restrict the amount that’s available.”

The OLOST is a one cent tax approved by voters in 2008. Seventy percent of the money is earmarked for public safety and 30 percent for infrastructure projects.

In an email to the Ledger-Enquirer on Tuesday, Hodge said FY2018 OLOST public safety appropriations will amount to a total of about $24 million. While most of the money is budgeted for personnel, $1,353,167 is earmarked for capital appropriations. The capital amount includes $1,075,404 in Mayor Teresa Tomlinson’s recommended budget, plus changes made by City Council amounting to $277,763.

The adjustments were made over a four-week period, as public safety department heads appeared before council requesting funding beyond the mayor’s recommended budget. Some councilors clashed over the issue.

While debating the Marshal’s Office’s request for additional funding, Councilors Garrett Walker and Bruce Huff pushed for adding one sworn deputy and one pursuit vehicle to the department, citing public safety concerns. Huff said the Marshal — who requested three sworn deputies and eight vehicles — has been denied funding for three years straight while other departments were funded.

He said the Marshal’s Office should receive about 26 percent of the OLOST funds based on how the money was supposed to originally be allocated. But Councilor Mike Baker said the change would negatively impact the city’s fund balance, and asked from where the money would come.

In the end, council denied the request for the sworn deputy —which would have come out of the general fund — but approved the pursuit vehicle.

Councilor Skip Henderson said some people get the impression that council doesn’t want to fund certain departments.

“It’s a shame that it gets painted this way in the public by some people, “he said. “I think it’s a little irresponsible, as a matter of fact, because when you have a budget that’s this tight and our savings account is at a critical level, it has nothing to do with not wanting to fund them.”

Henderson, who chairs the city’s budget review committee, said council was very generous with public safety departments in previous years.

“When revenues were flowing and our expenses were down, we tried to give, particularly with public safety,” he said. “... If our public safety asked for it, we tried to give it to them.

“... I don’t apologize for it, because I’m always going to give them anything we can, but when it comes to a point where there are just not the resources, the game changes.”

The first reading of the budget ordinance will be on June 6 at the 5:30 p.m. council meeting, providing an opportunity for community input. The second reading will be on June 13th at the 9 a.m. council meeting.

Here’s a breakdown of how public safety departments fared in the budgeting process:

• Columbus Police Department: Chief Ricky Boren requested $1.5 million for 20 pursuit vehicles, five Tahoe pursuit vehicles, two motorcycles with radar units, and three admin vehicles. The mayor recommended $425,552 for eight pursuit vehicles with technology packages. Council changed the allocation to $650,121, adding two pursuit vehicles with technology packages, two motorcycles, and three unmarked vehicles.
• Fire & EMS Department: Fire Chief Jeff Meyer requested $5.8 million for 65 sets of protective clothing, thermal imaging cameras, relocate cascade system, 27 mobile data terminals, 10 computers for ambulances, an image trend hosting database, three ambulances, three engines, three quints, 4 staff SUVs and other requests. The mayor recommended $156,000 for the protective clothing. Council made no change to the allocation. But the department changed the priorities to protective clothing, thermal imaging cameras, image trend hosting, mobile terminals and relocate cascade system.
• Muscogee County Prison: The prison requested $120,182 for a freezer/cooler replacement and road paving. The mayor recommended $74,802 for cooler replacement. Council made no change to allocation.
• Marshal’s Office: Marshal Greg Countryman requested $22,200 for equipment and a license plate reader renewal. The mayor recommended $2,200 for the license reader renewal. Council changed the allocation to $55,394, adding one pursuit vehicle with a technology package.
• Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff Donna Tompkins requested $1.7 million for vehicles, replacement radios, replacement tasers, Glock .45 pistols, fire integration system, jail kitchen floor and equipment, inmate video visitation system, jail video surveillance system, Sallyport Gates at jail, access system for Government Center and Citizens Service Center and other equipment. The mayor recommended $ 416,850 with the list to be prioritized by the Sheriff. Council made no adjustments to the allocation.

This story was originally published May 30, 2017 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Where will OLOST money go in FY2018? Council allocates public safety dollars."