Royal Oak Budget Cuts Won't Come out of Police Force, City Commission Says

Members of the Royal Oak City Commission instructed the city manager Monday night to move forward with next year’s budget, including maintaining a staff of 65 police officers.

Now, city officials will move to finalizing the city's budget document, taking money from other funds to maintain the police force and prevent layoffs for the 2011-12 year. City Manager Donald Johnson is expected to present the final budget to the commission on May 2.

Commission members approved layoffs last year amounting to about 22 officers effective June 30. The department is also expecting about five officers would retire by the end of the fiscal year.

Interim Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue said that would take the department down to about 48 officers. Royal Oak has 57,236 residents,  , 4.7 percent fewer than 10 years ago.

“As far as patrol, things would drastically change if we actually made these cuts,” O’Donohue said. For example, he said, officers would no longer respond to certain calls, take some kinds of reports and investigations would diminish dramatically.

With a department that size, O’Donohue said, after accounting for illnesses, medical leaves or other uncertainties, that would place about four officers on patrol on any given night shift. He said the department would not be able to effectively staff major events such as the Woodward Dream Cruise and Arts, Beats & Eats.

The actual recommended level of police officers by former Police Chief Chris Jahnke is 79, and the city is at 70 now, Johnson said. The department is expected to be at 65 officers after anticipated retirements.

In a letter issued to commissioners, Johnson said the money needed to maintain the police force at 65 or more would most likely be taken from the parking  and/or the motor pool fund.  Johnson warned this would only be a short-term fix and would have future implications for the funds from which the money was taken. Needed repairs for parking structures and other parking improvements would suffer, along with the city’s vehicle purchasing power. The city maintains a 20 percent fund balance in both funds.

City Commissioner Terry Drinkwine said the dilemma the city faces isn’t just about maintaining police officers, but also what does the city do if money is taken from other funds. “Nothing is free here,” Drinkwine said.

It was not decided whether or not the city would replace retiring police officers.

There was talk of eventually going to voters for a public safety millage, an idea commissioner Michael Andrzejak said he would not feel comfortable doing until police and fire officials agree on some contract concessions. Public safety contracts will expire in June. Most other city groups have agreed to concessions, city officials said.

Mayor Jim Ellison said he supports Johnson's viewpoint that the only permanent solution is a tax increase, but the city needs concessions first from the officers. “Our backs are against the wall,”  he said. 

Ellison said he does not feel the commission was playing a game of chicken by first approving the layoffs and then instructing Johnson to find a way to keep the force intact. Ellison said he views it as the commission stepping up and protecting its citizens.