As was the intention after the Magnolia City Council in October voted unanimously to apply a 1.5-mill millage rate for the city’s general fund, officers of the Magnolia Police Department are now set to receive hefty raises.
Discussed Thursday evening at city hall among members of the city council’s finance committee, a preliminary 2019 budget calls for most of the Magnolia Police Department’s officers to receive a $3,000 raise for next year. The council, after a presentation in October from Chief Todd Dew and Captain Michael Caldwell and encouragement from Mayor Parnell Vann, approved the move to enable the local boys in blue to earn a more competitive and livable wage for such a hazardous occupation.
“This couldn’t have happened without the tough decision you guys made last month,” said Vann Thursday when addressing present city council members. “Our emergency personnel are deserving.”
In total, the 2019 budget accounts for 22 MPD officers, including the chief, a captain, three lieutenants, five sergeants, one detective, and 11 patrolmen. Clerical staff and school resource officers are also included in the budget, but the latter are paid by the local public school system.
The millage increase in October was stated to generate approximately an additional $70,000 for the city’s general fund to be applied for raises. The 2019 MPD salary expense budget is now slated to be $103,000 higher than the previous year. Next year’s figures also take into account the addition of a new patrolman at $38,000 annually, which was not on the books for 2018.
“We’re trying to stop the outflow [of officers] and get you to stay and call Magnolia home,” Vann said.
The department, as is standard in recent years, is slated to receive two new patrol vehicles for 2019.
“That keeps the fleet fresh,” the mayor added.
The new vehicles will be Dodge Durango models instead of the mostly four-wheel-drive pickup trucks purchased recently.
“We’re going to go to a larger SUV — an all-wheel-drive Hemi Durango,” said Vann. “The trucks are great, they give us zero problems other than the brakes, whereas before we had lots of front-end issues with the [Dodge] Chargers.”
He later added that the move to the SUVs will make it easier for officers to operate in tighter, city block-type spaces.
“It just takes more to get the trucks turned around,” he said.
The budget presented to the finance committee Thursday was only preliminary in nature. Barring any unforeseen or major changes, the approved 2019 figures are expected to remain virtually the same.
The final, balanced 2019 projected year-end general fund figure came in at just under $452,000. The City General Fund runs city hall, Magnolia Fire Department, Magnolia Police Department, and parks. The total general government expenses for next year are projected at $4.154 million.
The 2019 budget could be approved officially as early as the next Magnolia City Council meeting set for Dec. 17. It could also be January 2019 if need be.
Plans for the local police department are not limited only to salaries and vehicles. Vann said Thursday that city reserves are healthy, at close to $1 million right now, and that in the near future, plans could come together for the construction of a new police department building, instead of the cramped, dated, facility it currently calls home at 206 N. Jackson Street, next to city hall.
“That’s an old, flat-roofed building,” he said.
The goal, he said, was to keep saving for the city’s reserve fund, until it reaches at least $1.5 million, then if a million dollars needs to go toward a new police building, the city’s reserve fund would still contain $500,000 or more, as has traditionally been the line of demarcation.
No timetable was said or set for a new police headquarters, but the mayor indicated he would like have officers in a new building sooner rather than later.
In a bit of bad news, it was revealed Thursday that the city’s plan to install a splash pad at East Side Park may have fallen through. The mayor said that the state parks grant that he and the municipality applied for was denied.
Although no details were issued as to why it failed, the park project is now is in limbo. The Magnolia A&P Commission in October committed $150,000 to the project, to be paid over five years, but those monies have not yet been spent and now, the mayor said, the pledge would likely be absolved.
The mayor did say that one of the A&P Commission’s specific duties is to aid local parks and that future improvements to those facilities may still be available for some A&P monetary contribution if a new project is presented to them by the city.