Law Enforcement Budget

On Monday November 27, 2017 the Streetsboro City council met for their weekly meeting. In their meeting they addressed many new amendments that needed to be reviewed as well as finances.

The major meeting was the finance meeting which is conducted directly prior to the regular council meeting. In the finance meeting it was expressed that the expense budget for 2018 was below target and the revenue was right on target, all lending it’s way in favor for the council’s finances.

 There was a motion to review a renewal that was soon to be authorized for the 2018 budget but they council members Mr. Janice and Mr. Peters announced that they are still working on an agreement and hope to pass this next session.

Along with the 2018 budget the most critical part of it, as expressed throughout the meeting, was the municipal income tax. This would determine retention of businesses and the amount of business that are leaving the area.

From what has been assessed Mrs. Field had determined that there would be a 3% growth in the companies lost for the year. She came to this conclusion by going through finances and receipts.

Next on the agenda was the building constructual services for the Streetsboro police department. The police department is asking for an increase in their budget, according to police chief Darin Powers this is a normal thing. He tries to ask for about the same amount or a little more each year to adjust for equipment and salaries.

He had expressed that due to unexpected problems like their recent boiler and hvac problems their budget has been taken a significant amount which is why the increase would be beneficial to them. Powers also mentioned that the money would be allocated to necessities such as tires. In recent years they would put snow tires on their cars but since they’ve switched to using all wheel drive tires the snow tires are no longer an expense for them. Leaving any additional money to be spent on other things.

If there were to be an increase in their budget and they had a disposable amount Powers would like to see it go to things he thinks the department needs like radar units for police cars to any salary issues.

“We have some projects that we would like to see done,” said Powers, “I’d like to have an indoor shooting range in our police department but we don’t that much laying around but we have some type of equipment we can purchase.”

The meeting also addressed a multitude of amendments that were passed, not unanimously for all of them but many were passed with or without comment from council members. The audience of Kent State students and local high schoolers stayed silent until a man with a Vietnam Vet hat on named Patrick Strakowski took the podium during the citizen’s comment portion.

Strakowski was not pleased with the recent state of the council. Stating “bah humbug” to them after delving into their past of breaking the sunshine law as well as voting down a marijuana dispensary being put in Streetsboro. He believed that it could bring in $1.2 million dollars to the town. This was later said to be a best case scenario had it they passed the dispensary.

Powers thinks that people like Stokowski are important. He believes more people should come to the meetings. He says that the people in the room are the ones that run the city.

“On a typical night, we typically have the same citizens of the room and 99% of the citizens don’t know what happen in a council meeting and I think it would be beneficial for them to come,” said Powers.

The meeting was adjourned after nearly two and half hours but not before the sitting council members could say a few words of gratitude to the three members leaving and welcoming in the soon to be sown in new members.