Albion may have to cut Public Safety to balance budget

ALBION, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Communities across Michigan are struggling to make ends meet, and budgets are seeing massive cuts in all areas.

Now, one West Michigan community that has already seen massive budget cuts is looking to cut even more, and it could come at the expense of public safety.

The City of Albion has enough money for a new fire station, but doesn't have the money to staff it with the budget looking to make cuts to public safety.

"We've been struggling with budgets for the last few years in Michigan," said Albion City Manager Mike Herman.

The story of Albion's city manager is similar to many other city managers across Michigan. A budget book out to his city leaders, a budget he's trying to balance, which could mean cutting five public safety officers and two more city staff.

"I'm sure staff is concerned, I'm sure City Council will be concerned, again the problem for us is we have to live within our budget," said Herman.

The cuts are not sitting well with the Police Officers Union, and the head of the union doesn't hesitate in saying whether the cuts will compromise safety.

"Yes it will," said Chris Thomas of the Patrol Officers Union.

Albion sits close to I-94 and is a station on the busy drug corridor, it's been the scene of some large drug raids, including a March 2009 sweep that netted drugs at nearly a dozen homes. That work would only get harder with cuts.

"We have an officer that's dedicated to doing drug work that at this point in time will probably have to cease," said Thomas.

Albion's also looking to cut a record keeper for Public Safety, which would mean that task could fall to officers.

"I don't feel that we can afford to take citizens and put them in jeopardy without having the employees here to do the job," said Albion Mayor Joe Domingo.

Mayor Domingo says that Albion's City Hall annex probably can't serve the people without staff, and he wants to fight the cuts a Public Safety.

"We can't keep putting the workforce out of work," said Domingo, "we're not going to have anything to do our work with."

How the money is being spent, whether it's on Albion's new fire station, police cruisers, or the officers in them, is something the mayor and union heads want to know, but the city manager knows that something has to give in order to balance the budget, and it could well be Public Safety.

"We'll still continue to respond to emergency calls like we've always done," said Herman, "it's some of the more mundane things, maybe calls out for dogs and checking property, somebody's got a locked car, we just may not be able to do anymore."

There is a work-session on the budget scheduled for Wednesday night in Albion at 7:00 pm. That meeting is open to the public.