West Tawakoni Citizens Angered By Proposed Police Staff Cut

A throng of West Tawakoni citizens spoke against a proposed budget cut of one police officer position in the upcoming 2008-2009 city budget.

The city council voted 3-2, with one abstention, in a special session the previous week to eliminate one of five full-time positions in the department.

Tuesday’s regular meeting of the city council was anything but the laid-back, short session it normally is.

"I want each of you to put a price tag on your life and tell me how much it’s worth," Sarah Helms, one of four unpaid reserve officers, said.

She and several others who spoke against the action said they fear the cut will leave the city without adequate police coverage and endanger the remaining officers on duty.

"Officer safety should be your number one concern," Helms later added.

Resident William Chichester said the city could not provide 24-hour, seven-day police coverage with just four full-time officers including police chief Jack Schulz.

"There is no possible way you can do it with four officers and account for vacation time, days off and sick time," he said.

A few of the city’s restaurant and club owners also voiced their displeasure with the decision. Jane Vaughn, owner of the 35 Club, was among them.

"We have a lot of bars and game rooms in West Tawakoni. I know we have our responsibilities as owners… (but) I don’t see how one officer on duty is going to be a lot of good to us. We need two on duty at all times. We need to keep our cops," she said.

Marsha Kelley, an employee at Miss Dale’s, told the council that the establishment had suffered two break-ins and one threat of arson in the past. She also said she did not feel the city could provide adequate protection for business owners with a department of four officers.

Last week, council members Winston Dennis and Carol Welch voted for the position cut, while Carol Soloman and Gerald "Rosie" Roseburg voted against the measure.

Council member Candy Schultz, the wife of the police chief, abstained from voting due to conflict of interest, leaving Mayor Pete Yoho to break the tie with a vote in favor of the cut.

The controversy was fueled further by the presence of an anonymously authored flyer — it was titled "West Tawakoni City Council endangers City" — posted throughout the city.

Yoho talked about the flyer in Tuesday’s meeting.

"This council will never, ever endanger this city or its citizens," Yoho said.

He went on to explain that the police department salaries in recent years had been partially funded by money from a now-defunct "Auction Fund," which was generated statewide through the auction of impounded and seized vehicles.

City administrator Cloy Richards said Wednesday a change in state legislation in 2005 effectively eliminated the Auction Fund.

Yoho also refuted the flyer’s reference to "five people (employees who) sit in City Hall Monday through Friday."

"Nobody just sits at City Hall," Yoho said. "Of the five people employed at City Hall, only two of those affect the police department budget."

Richards said that was a reference to the placement of salaries in the budget. He said the city secretary and code enforcement officer positions are funded from the general fund alongside the police department.

The city administrator, assistant city secretary and utilities billing and receivables clerk positions are funded through water and sewer revenue, Richards said.

Some in attendance, while not wanting to see a police officer position cut from the new budget, defended the council’s decision.

"It is not that this town doesn’t want to keep as many police officers as we can, but are you willing to put money in the pot?" Joanne Yoho asked the crowd.

Bill Stausing later added, "A copy of the (proposed) budget is available right here at City Hall. You look at it. There is no place to cut $26,000.

"If you keep that police officer position and in April next year you can’t put gas in the police cars, what are you going to do then?" Stausing asked.

Wednesday, Richards estimated the officer position in question would cost the city about $32,000 in salary and employee benefits.