And here’s the Missoula budget!
Here’s a link to direct documents including Mayor John Engen’s budget introduction.
Here’s my favorite part, which came in a handout yesterday of departmental new requests. You can see exactly what it costs to outfit a new Missoula Police Department officer for the job.
Wages: $51,121
Fringe: $33,758
Overtime: $2,000
Overtime fringe: $147
Uniform: $3,500
Handgun: $700 (Remember that scene in La Femme Nikita? Nikita is presented with a huge selection of firearms and told she can only pick two. Probably the cops don’t get to pick.)
Ammunition: $600
Radio: $3,200 (Spendy suckers. My cell phone plays the radio. Just kidding.)
MLEA Basic Training: $1,200 (This must be Montana Law Enforcement Academy)
Annual training and recertification: $600
Pre-employment exams: $850 (No idea … Drug tests? Driving while cell phone talking tests? Hee.)
Misc. Office supplies: $300
Ticket printing: $320
Cell phone service: $252 (Looks like for the year. Sweet deal if that’s the case.)
Misc. operating supplies: $500
The city is splitting the cost with “downtown partners.”
More to come on budget stuff later I’m sure.
– Keila Szpaller
April 21st, 2011 at 10:43 am
Keila,
Do you have a way to block my comments but still read them? I want to shoot you some budget info if you care or want to drill down into it a bit.
April 21st, 2011 at 5:19 pm
I always love budget debates. Does the mayors budget pay for abortions? Illegal aliens’ benefits? Sex education for kindergarten? A local militia? Will it all be paid for in gold? (I always think of Austin Powers in Goldmember…”He had the Midas touch, but he touched it too much. Goldmember.” LOL!)
Good luck Missoula! At least you don’t have “Bat-Crap Crazy” all up in your face. Win.
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:48 am
Ryan: Someone is having too much fun in Helena!
Chuck: Thank you. Are you able to email the info? keila.szpaller@missoulian.com. I’ll try to block messages from “Chuck” at your IP address but I may or may not succeed. If it works, yes, I’ll still be able to see your comments in the spam queue. If it doesn’t, I can mark your comment as spam. Um … I think if you plug in several web links in your comment the system will hold it for moderation also.
April 22nd, 2011 at 1:29 pm
“Ryan: Someone is having too much fun in Helena!” Who would that be? And where can I find them? Oh, forget it! I’m coming to Missoula tonight!
April 25th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Are the fringe costs the same as benefits? Any idea what all that includes? Glad to support the boys in blue, but damn, a brutha gotta get a pot hole filled in this town every once and awhile. Is this comparable to out cities in MT? NIKITA!!!!
May 4th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Does anybody wonder why the Mayor tries to keep this stuff quiet? 33 THOUSAND dollars for fringe benefits… How many reporters even make that in wages?