Top of Electric City agenda: levy for new police department

A special levy on the Aug. 5 primary ballot could produce about $200,000 towards an Electric City police department, city officials said Monday.

Mayor Jerry Sands and City Clerk Jackie Perman said the idea of an Electric City police department would be the main item on the city council agenda when it meets July 8.

“We need a decision that night so we can prepare for a community meeting to explain and get input from community members,” Sands stated. A public meeting could be scheduled at the July 8 council session.

The $200,000, coupled with the $77,000 Electric City is paying this year for police coverage from Grand Coulee, would go a “long ways” towards financing a police department, Sands had stated.

If the council moves to create its own police department, the city would have to develop a Civil Service Commission for the hiring of police officers.

“We want community members to have their say in the matter,” Sands said.

Both Sands and Perman stated that they have received a number of favorable comments from citizens in regard to a story about an Electric City police department.

Sands said the city would have enough funds to hire two officers, buy some used patrol cars, and generally equip an office.

The city, with council approval, plans to float a levy asking for 35 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value to finance the department.

The whole affair was triggered by a proposal Electric City had received from Grand Coulee, asking for $209,000 for 2015 alone, 279 percent of its 2014 agreement.

Perman stated that as far as she knew, no additional meetings have been scheduled between Grand Coulee and Electric City negotiators.