AURORA — City officials are revisiting the current mandate that requires two police officers for every thousand residents.
Only this time, there seems to be some chance the requirement could go away — courtesy of the slumping economy.
Voters in 2003 approved a quarter-percent sales tax to fund the requirement.
Since then, the Aurora Police Department has added between 120 and 130 officers, all paid for by the tax. The city has about 620 police officers.
The tax raises about $9 million annually in this city of 310,000 residents, according to the police union.
However, facing another multi-million-dollar budget shortfall next year, city officials are considering all options.
They could ask voters for another tax hike for police, continue the staffing ratio while tapping the general-fund budget to help pay for it or ask voters to do away with it.
“Public safety is our No. 1 priority,” said city Councilman Ryan Frazier, who sits on the public safety committee and opposes another tax hike . “But you have to find a balance and have the flexibility to meet other priorities in the city.”
Don James, president of the police union, understands the city’s dilemma.
James points out the good things that have come from increasing the police force, including the decrease in crime in recent years.
“Cost, certainly, is a major factor, but they need to look beyond dollars and cents,” James said. “My hope is they take an objective review and look at all the alternatives.”
City officials note that other cities of similar size have lower ratios of police to residents.
James said everyone knew that one day the money from the tax would not be enough to pay for the increased staffing levels. He said the union favors asking voters again to fund it.
“We have always encouraged the city to look at finding a sustaining revenue package,” James said.
Asking voters to approve a tax increase in this economy, however, may be a battle left for another day.
There are also concerns that if the mandate is repealed, the police department could lose those positions and be forced to lay off police officers.
City Councilwoman Molly Markert, chairwoman of the public safety committee, said all the worry about what the council may do about the two per thousand requirement is just unfounded “chatter.”
Still, because of the budget woes, Aurora has closed libraries and may have to do the same to recreation centers.
Markert said the staffing ratio warrants a closer look by the city as to its impact on future budgets.
“I don’t see a savior on the horizon that is going to give us any new answers,” Markert said. “We need more information.”
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
