CYPRESS : Police Cut Advised as Last-Ditch Option

A fiscal advisory committee has recommended eliminating the city’s Police Department as a last-ditch budget cutting move, an option to be adopted if employee layoffs and reduced services fail to save the city enough money.

The Cypress Fiscal Advisory Committee, formed by the City Council last June to provide recommendations on the city’s $16-million budget, released the recommendations Monday. The council members are now considering the committee’s report and will discuss it at a special meeting Jan. 31.

Though closing the Police Department and contracting for police services with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department would save the city several million dollars, Mayor Richard Partin said “it is not a viable option. We are not in the position that we need to take such a drastic cut at this time.”

Police Chief Daryl Wicker, who is reviewing the recommendations, said he does not favor the committee’s recommendation to eliminate his department. “It certainly wouldn’t be my choice,” he said. “I don’t think it’s the best option for Cypress.”

Partin agreed, saying that other cuts outlined in the report, however, will be given “serious consideration.”

Those cuts include laying off at least 20 employees; reducing the frequency of tree trimming, street cleaning, park cleaning and other maintenance services; and cutting employee fringe benefits.

While the city’s population grew by 6.4%, to 45,630, between 1983 and 1993, city staff grew 21.4% and city expenditures grew 93%, the committee’s report shows.

“The current city organization, number of employees and spending propensities will result in deficits from $1 million to $2.5 million a year for the next five years if the financial philosophy, strategy, goals and management methods are not changed,” said Reynold Elkin, chairman of the fiscal advisory committee.

He said the city would save $2 million from its annual budget if it reduces police training costs, employee auto allowance payments, the number of management positions and maintenance workers, insurance premiums and services such as street sweeping and tree trimming.

Further savings could be achieved if the city privatizes some maintenance work, contracts with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for police services, stops televising council meetings, and reduces and controls overtime pay to city employees, according to the report.

Committee vice chairman Robert A. Solheim said city employees average $56,000 a year in salary and fringe benefits. “This is about $10,000 higher than the salary and fringe benefits earned by the average Cypress resident taxpayer who must pay for these city employees,” he said.

“In the current tight fiscal environment, the taxpayers of Cypress cannot afford to continue supporting this generous salary and fringe benefit package as it currently stands,” Solheim said.

Council members agreed, saying they will give the report “serious consideration.”

“We’ll do the best we can to try to implement as much as we can,” Partin said about the committee’s recommendations.

“We have to bite the bullet sometimes,” council member Gail H. Kerry said. “We’re at the point where we have to make some real tough decisions.”