Prospect Heights police department won't see cuts for at least a year

Despite Prospect Heights voters rejection of a new police protection tax, the police department won't lay off more employees for at least a year, officials said Wednesday.

The tax referendum was presented as two questions on Tuesday's ballot: one asked voters for an additional $1.25 million yearly for the police department; the second would allow the city to raise the tax cap - the mechanism needed to collect any tax increase. Voters denied both requests, according to unofficial results.

City officials originally thought they couldn't maintain minimum staffing levels and keep the police station open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday unless voters approved the two requests.

What changed?

The police department received more than $300,000 in one-time drug seizure revenue, of which roughly $275,000 was used to plug a hole in the 2009-2010 proposed budget, Police Chief Bruce Morris said Wednesday. For now, the police department will retain its 26 sworn officers and two civilian employees managing records and manning the front desk.

"It allowed me to preserve two officers' positions," he said.

Morris said while drug seizure money cannot be used for personnel or pensions, it can be used for training and other expenses such as a police records database, weapons, body armor, computer repair and computers for squad cars.

City officials laid off staff and slashed expenses to bring a nearly $500,000 projected deficit in 2009 down to less than $300. Of the roughly $6.4 million proposed budget, 60 percent goes toward police operations.

The police department previously reduced the number of civilian personnel by five positions. While there will be no more layoffs in the coming year, one civilian employee has been reassigned to city hall due to layoffs there.

Morris said the police department will look for grants to supplement services. The city also is getting more aggressive in going after traffic scofflaws through a collection agency.

Prospect Heights' mayor-elect Dolly Vole said she believes voters were confused by the two ballot questions and the official message that the new tax would free up other city funds.

"It misrepresented what we really needed that money for," she said. "The money that was coming in was to fill the deficit. Now we're not getting any funds at all, so the cuts are inevitable. It could be worse next year. Residents will have to understand that services will be cut."

Vole said she hopes to establish a public safety committee to review how the city can increase revenues to fund police services.