Portage rejects grant for police officers

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Updated: February 23, 2012 8:06AM

PORTAGE — No new police officers will patrol Portage after the City Council voted to decline the pending Department of Justice COPS grant.

The council decline the grant Tuesday in a 5-2 decision, which Mayor James Snyder described as, “The first party line vote in years.”

“At our first council meeting I was asked how we would pay for the $500,000 COPS grant,” Snyder said. “I have shown them how we would do so.”

Snyder was clearly disappointed in the outcome of the vote. “The people lost today.”

“There is plenty of inefficiency in Portage city government,” Snyder said. “We are going to get the budget under control. We just lost three cops for three years that were paid for.”

The majority pointed to the dire fiscal straits of the city. At-large council member Mark Oprisko led the fiscally prudent bandwagon.

“It’s very difficult to turn down free money for the first three years, but in year four, it is not free money anymore,” Oprisko said.

Council president and at-large member Sue Lynch pointed to the uncertainty of city finances.

“We never know when we have unexpected costs,” Lynch said.

Lynch cited a declining city revenue base, noting the cable TV franchise fee is expected to be cut in half later this year as a result of proposed legislation, an anticipated loss of up to $500,000 in tax appeals, up to $300,000 in insurance claims and a shortfall of $1 million due to tax caps.

The grant would have paid for three additional officers for three years. Portage would have to commit to keeping those officers for a fourth year. The total cost to Portage for the first three years was approximately $50,000 per year and the fourth year costs would balloon to $266,000.