AURORA — The Aurora police union has ratified a plan to lower a mandated police-staffing ratio for new hires based on population growth.
The city was notified Wednesday that members of the Aurora Police Association approved the plan. It passed 318-48.
The ratio for new hires will go from two officers for every 1,000 residents to 1.6 officers, which is expected to save the city up to $40 million over the next 10 years.
“I think that the officers’ vote heralds a new day where together city and officers want to provide the best possible service in an era of tough budgets,” Mayor Ed Tauer said. “Today’s about teamwork.”
Had the union not ratified the plan, a property-tax hike would have been placed on the Nov. 1 ballot, asking voters to help make up the police-hiring budget shortfall.
Now that won’t go to voters.
“I give our members a lot of credit for knowing the issues and acknowledging some changes that needed to be made to get us through some difficult times,” union president Mark Finnin said.
If voters were to have shot down the original proposal, a quarter-cent sales tax that would have paid for the 2-per-1,000 ratio would have gone away, costing the city between $9 million and $10 million annually.
But on Friday, during an emergency meeting in which the new hiring ratio was approved by the City Council, it also agreed to remove that last part from the ballot.
Now the city will keep minimum police staffing levels at 658, the expected number in 2012, and adjust it upward every other year with the new rate based on population growth.
In 10 years, the ratio would increase to 1.9 police officers.
The move was needed, city officials say, because it costs the city an extra $6 million to meet the requirement and because other programs were cut.
“It gives us a temporary reprieve of having to add as many new officers as we normally would have had,” Councilman Bob Broom said. “This provides relief.”
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
