February 14, 2024 ♥♥♥ |
Photo – Medicine Bow Marshal’s Office – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Medicine Bow town council changes course regarding the fate of the marshal’s office.
The Medicine Bow town council has been working on a new budget. Mayor Justin George said the previous budget, created under former mayor Lucy Schofield, was passed illegally outside of a normal vote. The budget contained large financial errors.
Mayor George and the other Medicine Bow town council members have held a series of meetings to create a legal and more accurate budget. At the February 8th special workshop, Mayor George said the town has far less money than originally expected. Major cuts are needed to balance the town’s books. On the chopping block: The Medicine Bow Marshal’s Office.
Formed in 2019 using impact assistance money, the Medicine Bow Marshal’s Office was never designed to last forever. During Monday’s town council meeting, Mayor George said the department was started with $1 million, to be supplemented with ticket revenue. With no additional income sources, the mayor said the marshal’s office is running out of money.
Mayor George said in its current form, with two full-time officers, a full-time clerk, and clerical and court fees, the marshal’s office only has enough money to stay operational for a little over a year. The mayor said the town council must make a decision about the future of the marshal’s department.
No matter what decision the town makes, the marshal’s office is running on borrowed time. Once the remaining $400,000 is spent, the town will have to close the department. Medicine Bow’s yearly budget can’t support the town and the marshal’s office.
Eliminating in-town law enforcement all together was discussed during Monday’s council meeting. Like Hanna and Riverside, Medicine Bow could enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office to have deputies patrol the town.
Councilman Trevor Strauch said he doesn’t want to give up on the marshal’s office yet. Options are being considered on how the marshal’s office could be reorganized.
Instead of two full-time officers and a full-time clerk of the court, Councilman Strauch said he wants to cut the department back to one full-time officer and divide the clerk’s time between the marshal’s office and town hall.
Councilman Strauch suggested selling all the department’s unused equipment to add another $100,000 to the marshal’s budget.
Councilwoman Crystal Mayfield said she supports keeping the marshal’s office open. Councilwoman Mayfield said she is concerned that the sheriff could alter the terms of the MOU.
Councilman Strauch said no matter how the town proceeds, the marshal must understand that his department’s days are numbered. The councilman said an MOU with the sheriff is always an option if retaining one full-time marshal isn’t financially viable.
Councilman Strauch said if the price of the MOU doesn’t rise, the town might be able to pay the sheriff to patrol indefinitely. However, the councilman said there is no way the town can afford to pay approximately $90,000 a year to keep the marshal’s office open.
Town Attorney Cameron Smith asked if the council had considered creating a tax to help fund the marshal’s department. A rough estimate by Maintenance Operator Frank Fisher showed that an additional $18 a month from every resident would be required. Councilwoman Kristi Wickizer said residents are already facing an increase to their monthly water bills. Councilwoman Wickizer said she does not support charging the townspeople any extra money.
The council decided to investigate reducing the marshal’s office down to one full-time officer, a part-time clerk, and cut the amount spent on retirement. The plan would, theoretically, buy the town a little over four years. The hope is that an additional funding source will present itself before the town is forced to close the marshal’s department.
The council voted to table the decision on the fate of the marshal’s office until tomorrow’s final budget workshop.
