How the Financial Health Recommendations Affect Police and Fire Departments
A big aspect of the financial health report recommends more cuts, a third, to come from the police and fire departments, and it would reduce their operation budgets and health benefits.
Police and fire are a huge portion of the Lansing City budget. In 2011, the city paid more than 70 million dollars for public safety. This year fire and police make up 5% of the city's general fund expenditures.
The financial health team says public safety costs need to be reduced. To solve both the city's finances and try to maintain services, the team recommends cutting fire department funding by $2 million and police funding by $1 million
The team also recommends the city aggressively try to move police to a different health care benefits package which would save the city an additional $700,00
The Lansing chief of police is reassuring people that service is there if they call 9-1-1. She says these are hard economic times, and they are working together with the city to be successful.
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