The Riley County Law Board Monday approved a three-point-five-seven percent increase in the Police Department’s budget for fiscal 2022.
The budget of nearly 23-million dollars passed on a 5-2 vote, with Riley County Commissioners John Ford and Kathryn Focke voting against it.
The board earlier had approved use of coronavirus relief funds from the federal government to fund pay increases of two-percent starting July 1st.
RCPD Captain Josh Kyle, also noting that a cost-of-living increase of one-percent was included in the proposed budget. He says one aid in keeping the budget in line is tracking overtime costs.
RCPD Director Dennis Butler noted that there have been some concerns voiced about the slice of the city’s budget the agency is receiving each year.
Ford says he isn’t in support of earmarking money for new hires while the county is looking to find ways to get employee pay on par with others in the state.
The budget includes money for adding a full-time payroll technician position and maintaining a part-time Finance technician position. Also there’s money for hiring an additional cook for the Riley County Jail and an additional court security screener.
