Ronan will seek public safety levy

By Jennifer McBride / Leader Staff

The City of Ronan will seek a public safety levy in an effort to boost funding for its police force, and voters will be asked to approve one of the largest mil requests the city has ever made.

If passed, the levy will increase the city's budget by approximately 25 mils, allowing the city to add one full-time officer to help alleviate the growing caseload each current officer is handling. Voters will decide on the levy via mail-in ballots next February.

While the Ronan city council passed the resolution unanimously at Monday night's meeting, they worried that the people of Ronan wouldn't be willing to pay the extra money.

According to council members, the levy would cost about $8.50 a month per $100,000 of assessed property value, which Mayor Kim Aipperspach said was a price people should be willing to pay.

"If you compare it to your cable [bill]," Aipperspach said, "$8.50 a month for your police isn't bad."

Assistant Chief Art Walgren said he hoped the monthly assessment would be less for most residents, but emphasized that the money was absolutely necessary.

"We have been operating shorthanded for years," he said. "Our call load is much heavier than other cities our size."

According to Walgren, in a 2005 Montana Board of Crime Control study of illegal activity in Ronan, Polson, Columbia Falls, Dillon, Hamilton and Belgrade, Ronan led the way in total crime in several categories, despite having half the population (and half the police force) of larger cities in the study.

Of the six cities studied, Ronan had the highest number of armed robberies, aggravated assaults and weapons offenses. Ronan also had the second most rapes and the third most vehicle thefts.

"I could go on and on with the statistics," Walgren said.

Despite having more crime, the Ronan police department has fewer officers. Walgren said the United States has, on average, 2.15 police officers for every 1,000 people. Normally, smaller towns have more police officers than the national average, but Ronan has fewer than the national average, with approximately two officers per thousand.

The result is higher case loads. Walgren said he is currently dealing with 36 open felony cases, which he has to handle besides his normal duties.

"With 36 active cases, it's really hard to get something done," he said.

He said each officer in the Ronan Police Department handles about 1,000 calls per year. The average call number per officer in Lake County, Walgren said, is 550 to 650.

The high caseload, Walgren explained, makes vacations a luxury.

"The chief is losing one to two weeks vacation this year," Walgren said, referring to the fact that Chief Dan Wadsworth hasn't had time to use his days off. The police officers usually end up underpaid for their extra hours, because the department doesn't have the budget for overtime pay, unless it's been provided for by a grant.

As the city population grows, so will the case load. Walgren pointed out that Ronan is looking at five new subdivisions in the near future.

"This position is also critical for us to deal with the growth issues that are going to be facing us soon," he said.

Each mil is about $1,691.74, so a 25-mil levy will earn the city an additional $42,293.50 for the police department. Ninety percent of that, Walgren said, would pay the salary of the new officer. The other 10 percent would cover training and equipment costs.

The money is especially necessary, Walgren said, because the police department's budget is $33,000 less in fiscal year 2007-2008 than it did in 2006-2007.

Aipperspach believes that residents will approve the levy if they better understand what they're paying for. To that end, the council members plan to speak to local groups from now until February.

"One of the worst things in this town is it's hard to get people informed," Aipperspach said, "But once they are informed, they do care. They do give a darn."

Polson residents passed a similar levy by a two-to-one margin last year, which allowed that police department to hire another full-time officer and make some much-needed upgrades in equipment.

In other matters, a spokesperson for the Ronan Rural Fire Department Relief Association also discussed frustration with a lack of money. The association will get no new mills this year and is operating on only $8,700 left over from previous budgets. The mayor also reminded people that there's no parking on Main Street from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. and violators will be towed. Anyone with apartments on Main Street should consult their managers about off-street parking.

At the last council meeting, held Nov. 26, the city council announced on Monday that the city's budget was complete.

"There's just a few finishing touches left," said Kaylene Melton, Ronan's city clerk/treasurer.

The city council also agreed to release the city's auditor, Terry Burke, after he asked to be excused from his contractual duties. Burke had worked for the City of Hamilton as an auditor in the past and would have charged the city $18,000 for a two-year audit.

Kaylene Melton said the City has already found another auditor. Mayor Kim Aipperspach said the new auditor might charge less, although the city has budgeted $19,000 for the audit.

Department of Public Works officials also reported that water lines and fire hydrants around the new hospital expansion are complete.

Because of the Christmas holiday, the next city council meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec. 27.