Politics & Government
Budget Proposal Includes Larger Police Force
If approved, the fiscal year 2013 budget would allow the police department to hire three more officers
In an effort to maintain current staffing levels at the Gaithersburg Police Department, City Manager Angel Jones is asking the city council to add three new police officers to the force.
The proposal is part of the , which the council is expected vote on by June 4.
Currently, the Gaithersburg Police Department is approved to employ 54 officers, but only 52 sworn officers are on the payroll. The new budget proposes increasing police staffing to 57 sworn officers.
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Gaithersburg Police Chief Mark Sroka explained the additional positions will alleviate staffing hardships when police officers retire or leave for other jobs.
It's about anticipating vacancies, which take a minimum of four months to fill, Sroka said.
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The entry level base salary of a sworn police officer is currently set at $52,628.
The total budget proposal for the City of Gaithersburg for fiscal year 2013 is $51.7 million. If approved, it would represent a 7.8 percent increase over the current budget.
The public is invited to offer comments about the budget proposal by emailing cityhall@gaithersburgmd.gov by 5 p.m. May 17.
The city council will hold a work session on the budget proposal at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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