AP: City to hire public safety director

In lieu of filling the vacant police and fire chief positions, the Avon Park City Council opted to hire a public safety director to administer both departments.

The new position will save the city an estimated $102,362 a year in salary and benefits.

During Saturday's budget meeting, Interim City Manager Maria Sutherland and Finance Director Renee Green broke down the numbers behind the savings.

The salary and benefits of the fire chief's position are $95,344 a year and the police chief's are $92,269 a year.

The annual benefits for both chief positions are high because of the pension, said Green.

By eliminating both positions and creating a non-unionized administrative one, the city will save money and leave current department heads' schedule open to handle strategic work.

The salary and benefits for the public safety director position are $85,251 a year.

Council voted 3-1 for the new position with Councilman Al Hinson opposed to the idea.

"We don't know how it is going to work...If we can afford it, we can keep it as it is," Hinson said.

In the long run, Sutherland said the new position will save jobs and keep both the fire and police department intact.

They need to look at the bigger picture, she stressed, especially with annual debt payments nearing a million dollars.

Loans taken out by the city to cover expenses like trucks and other necessities leaves them paying back $979,000 next year and the $954,000 the following year.

The city needs to look at long term savings, Sutherland said.

The county's budget cuts may even eliminate the city's parks and recreation department, costing them an additional $257,000 for recreation.

"People will lose jobs at that rate," Sutherland told Hinson.

The new position would eliminate the police and fire chief positions but both departments will continue to have their own department heads.

Acting Fire Chief David Cloud will stay in his current position as captain, and Interim Police Chief Michael Rowan will remain commander of the police department.

"If this is going to guarantee that we are going to have our two departments intact...I would be in favor of a public safety officer," Mayor Sharon Schuler said.

The public safety director would handle the administration of both departments and no filled position in either department will be cut.

If it comes down to it, the city can use the $102,362 in savings toward parks and recreation, Green said.

FAST FACT

Council voted 3-1 for the new position with Councilman Al Hinson opposed to the idea.