By Ty Tagami
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
DEKALB, Ill. - Despite a tight economy, DeKalb County found enough money this year to expand its Police Department by more than 10 percent.
In a close vote Tuesday on the $635 million budget for 2008, county commissioners slashed spending on technology, lawyers and other functions and drew on emergency funds to pay for 127 new police officers.
The amendment to Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones’ budget proposal adds 77 officers to the 50 new officers he wanted.
Kathie Gannon, the commission’s presiding officer, said she proposed the change because “we heard loud and clear a message” from residents that they wanted more police.
Her plan was approved in a 4-3 vote. Jones said during the commission meeting that he would veto it, but later changed his mind.
Jones said in an interview afterward that he supported a competing plan by Commissioner Larry Johnson to hire a similar number of officers and to give pay raises of as much as 8 percent to police. Johnson wanted to pay for the measure with $2.7 million from a property tax increase, but his proposal never came to a vote.
Jones said he decided against vetoing the budget after commissioners returned his capital projects list to the budget. The commissioners initially scrapped his spending plan for sidewalks and roads, but later changed their minds. Jones also said he conferred with Johnson and that the commissioner would return in two weeks with a proposal to raise taxes to give pay raises to police officers --- and firefighters.
Copyright 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution