Which comes first: police or parks? Piercy, Torrey respond
David Walker: Another question from a viewer: Why does the city budget reflect cuts in public safety before cuts to the library and parks?
Kitty Piercy: Well, actually the city budget doesn't reflect any cuts. For the last four years we have, not as much as we would like to, but incrementally added more officers each year, seven in the last four years.
We've also done an exchange with the county to help shore up that end of the public safety system, so paid for - help pay for - 45 more jail beds, two prosecuters, juvenile services and keeping the Buckley House open because we understand that arresting is only one part of the system. You have to actually be able to keep them and provide treatment and keep them so they don't just roll out the other side.
So, we're very focused on public safety as a priority, and if you look at our budget you will see that the vast amount of dollars in our budget go to public safety.
Jim Torrey: Well, I wouldn't say that they reflect cuts in public safety, but what I would say is that they haven't taken into consideration the needs of public safety.
You know criminal activity in our community is not going down. Property crimes are going up at an amazing level. In fact, just the other day the fbi came out indicating that our crimes against people are raising. But one of the major differences between myself and my opponent, I believe you put the priority services first and then you drop to the bottom of what we must do.
Those services that don't reach as high a priority level, and I'm prepared to veto budgets to the degree that i can, if they do not prioritize public safety, roads and the key needs of our citizens first. It's exactly what a home budget does.
