Council debates 2021 budget, which includes $1M increase on police

Council debates 2021 budget, which includes $1M increase on police

MARIEL: THERE IS- COUNCILMEMBER CHRIS SEELBACH- SAYS HEWILL NOT SUPPORT A BUDGET THATINCREASESPENDING ON POLICE,WHILE DECREASING FUNDING INALL OTHER DEPARTMENTS, LIKEPARKS AND RECREATION.

HE ALSOCITED HUNDREDS OF EMAILS HE'SGOTTEN OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKSDEMANDING CHANGE.áPROTEST NATSá PROTESTORS AREDEMANDING CHANGES.

LESS MONEYFOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.PROTEST NATS.

AND SO ARE SOMECITY LEADERS.

CHRISSEELBACH/CITY COUNCIL"Wecannot continue to increasefunding for police, whilecutting all of thesedepartment, that are already1,000 people less than theywere 21 years." HIS QUESTIONTO THE CITY MANAGER, IS WHY ISTHAT HAPPENING?PATRICKDUHANEY/CITY MANAGER"We haveto fund a holistic city, andmaintaining public safety andkeeping our neighborhoods safeand keeping our shootings andmurder rates down is importantas well."UNDER THE PROPOSED20-21 BUDGET POLICE FUNDING ISAT ABOUT 155 MILLION DOLLARS,UP 1 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR.

AMAJORITY OF INCREASES, COMESFROM F-O-P LABOR INCREASES.THERE ARE DECREASES, LIKEDELAYING THE RECRUIT CLASSES,AND HOLDING VACANT POSITIONS.áNATSá SOME CITY LEADERS SAYTHE CITY NEVER GAVE THEDIRECTIVE TO DECREASE SPENDINGON POLICE, UNTIL NOW.

DAVIDMANN/CITY COUNCIL "At leastfor the last 7 years that Ihave been back, we have saidthat we want a budget thatmaintains current police andfire staffing levels.

Ifthat's not our position, sayso."AND THAT DOING IT AT THISPOINT, IS TOO LATE IN THEBUDGET PROCESS.

WENDELLYOUNG/CITY COUNCIL "I am verymuch on board with that, buthears what I also realizewe've got to hav this budgetdone by June 30.

I don't thinkthere'enough time betweenthen and now to make thisbudget look thway it oughtto."DAVID MANN/CITY COUNCIARE SET FOR TUESDAY, THURSDAYAND NOW FRIDAY, AT THE DUKEENERGY CENTER.A FEW HUNDREDPEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UPTO SPEAK, JUST ON ZOOM.REPORTING FROM CITY HALL,MARIEL CARBONE, WCPNINE NEWS.