The city of Madison now has additional funding to incorporate into the 2013 Operating Budget, which could be used within the Madison Police Department to improve training facilities and maintain an MPD analysis position.
Adjustments in state aid will give the the city an unexpected additional $267,000, which Mayor Paul Soglin suggests be used to continue an MPD analyst position, maintenance for a new police training facility and a consultant for a biodigester study, which will review environmentally-friendly composting methods.
In addition to the $267,000, Soglin also left an unallocated $500,000 in his budget for city Council members to decide how to spend without increasing the tax levy.
According to Soglin, many Council members said there was not enough room in the 2012 budget to designate funds to different city departments, which is why the mayor gave Council members more flexibility in the 2013 budget.
“I’ve done my best trying to leave funds available for the council to do things as it chooses,” Soglin said.
Council members can decide whether to use the unallocated funds for departments funded by the city, such as the Overture Center, or for lowering property taxes, according to Soglin.
The Board of Estimates heard presentations from various city departments, such as the MPD, regarding details of their individual proposed 2013 budgets.
Soglin is proposing to continue allocating $50,000 for the Downtown Safety Initiative, which provides funding for additional officers downtown on weekend nights.
While DSI funds have been used only on Friday and Saturday nights in the past, Chief Noble Wray said the MPD will schedule additional officers on Thursday nights when needed, due to a spike in crime.
“If we’re seeing a pattern where things are getting out of control on Thursday nights, we can staff for that,” Wray said.
The budget also proposes reallocating another $50,000 to fund other citywide safety initiatives, although Wray said those funds will most likely be primarily used downtown, where the majority of the crime in Madison occurs.
