Police Department
Reference: Public Safety Tax Resolution
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Michael P. Martinez, City Manager
Prepared By: Matt Domenico, Chief of Police
Alicia Calder?n, City Attorney
Date Prepared: August 15, 2023
PURPOSE
To provide the City Council with information and ballot language to refer a proposed .15% sales and use tax increase to fund public safety needs.
BACKGROUND
Public safety is among the most critical services municipalities provide and Brighton is no exception. Keeping pace with the growth and increased demand on law enforcement requires an ongoing investment of resources. Competing with the rest of the city for funding and resources through traditional funding mechanisms has impacted the department's ability to keep up with demand and provide the required levels of service to the community.
The intended use of funds collected through a dedicated, non-expiring .15% public safety sales tax increase would be primarily to fund new positions in the Police Department. Additional staff is required to provide the level of service the Brighton community needs and expects, and to keep pace with the rapid growth seen in recent years. Additional staff would increase the capacity of the Brighton Police Department to be proactive in its approach to addressing crime, traffic, public order, and quality of life concerns. Some of the new positions funded would include additional patrol and traffic officers, Task Force officers, and a neighborhood impact team that can be deployed to address pervasive crime issues in the community.
Funds collected because of a proposed .15% public safety tax will not be used to supplant the existing Police Department budget, nor would it be used to offset planned funding or staffing models for the Police Department.
FUNDING OPTIONS
Staff has reviewed and is proposing a dedicated sales and use tax increase of .15%, expected to generate up to $2.75 million dollars of fundi...
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