$167K Mount Pleasant Police Cuts Still Uncertain

Police Chief Tim Zarzecki was tasked with cutting $167,000 from his department's 2012 budget, but with the union not willing to reopen conract negotiations, his job is a lot harder.

Trustees in their last work meeting on Oct. 13 asked Zarzecki and Captains Tom Peterson and Brian Smith to hit the drawing board again and come up with some ideas. The $167,000 is approximately 3 percent of their annual $5 million budget and is equal to the percentage cut from the .

"Our operating budget is already as lean as I can get it," he said. "I don't know where the reductions can be made."

The department saved $159,000 in 2011 from keeping expenses low and not replacing three officers until August. Additionally, Mount Pleasant is getting back $45,000 in overtime reimbursement for things like officers helping out with security in Madions during the protests and extra patrols during the February blizzard. Zarzecki was hoping that money would apply for the 2012 police budget.

But Village Board members made it clear that cuts have to come from wages and benefits, which means the police union would have to agree to reopen the contract that doesn't expire until the end of 2012. So far, the union isn't going to do that.

"We've talked to the union twice and they say they are unwilling," Zarzecki confirmed.

Under the terms of the contract, Mount Pleasant officers received a 2 percent raise in 2011, but agreed to a wage freeze in 2012.

"They feel our officers already made concessions," said Mount Pleasant Police Captain Brian Smith of the union's stance.

Making the situation more difficult is the $582,000 , which would fully fund two new officers - salaries and benefits - for three years as long as the village agrees to fund the fourth year. Because the grant was written with a uniform strength of 41 sworn officers, the police force cannot be reduced or the village is no longer eligible to receive the money.

Should trustees resort to layoffs to come up with the $167,000, under the terms of the contract, Mount Pleasant would also then have to kick in a 3.25 percent pay raise, fund the unemployment for those officers and fill in any owed back pay. To afford those payments, the village could potentially layoff additional police, perhaps as many as five officers total would lose their jobs.

Village President Carolyn Milkie is sympathetic, but said that every department is making concessions, including that fact that municipal employees have not had a raise in four years.

"The last thing we want to do is cut protective services," she said. "But there has to be give from everyone."