The estimated cost to support Vision Tulsa’s additional public-safety officers and firefighters has been reduced, but a gap of more than $1 million per year remains, city officials announced Thursday.
City Manager Jim Twombly presented city councilors with revised estimates of costs associated with adding about 160 police officers and 65 firefighters provided for in Vision Tulsa, which voters approved in April.
The new estimates lower the costs from $2 million to between $1.1 million and $1.7 million.
The money would support other departments that would see a larger burden with the increase in public-safety staffing.
Examples include additional services from the Information Technology Department and Human Resources Department, as well as expected increases to citations and jail costs through the city’s court.
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“Two weeks ago we told the story, but not the whole story,” Twombly said.
Specifically, previous estimates included several items that were, in fact, covered through the public-safety tax, including maintenance and fuel costs for public-safety vehicles.
Subtracting those expenses, the support costs of adding personnel will still surpass $1 million per year, which city officials will have to budget for as staffing is increased up during the next five years, Twombly said.
The city will have to begin providing those support costs beginning with next fiscal year, beginning July 2017.
Councilor Anna America said she asked city administration officials to come back to the council to revise their estimates after private conversations revealed decreased needs.
“There was some confusion about what was presented to us,” America said. “My intent is to have a real clear picture of what resources will needed to be made available to make sure we implement Vision fully.”
The estimates will continue to be revised, Twombly said.
The next presentation is scheduled for mid-September, when Twombly said he would be able to provide a more exact figure than the range of $1.1 million to $1.7 million.
