SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Most of the Sioux Falls city employees work in public safety and the proposed 2021 budget will add more.
The city budget includes 20 more full-time public safety employees at a cost of about $2.1 million, city officials said during an Aug. 4 budget hearing.
Five police officers will be added and 15 firefighters will be added. The fire department employees will be added because of the new fire station No. 12. A portion of the police officers would be paid for through a grant, city officials said.
The proposed 2021 general fund budget is about $259.6 million of which about 50% is for police, fire and streets, said city finance director Shawn Pritchett. The fund has about $185.6 million in expenses, which includes $43.5 million for police and $31.8 million for fire.
The public safety budget will increase by $5.6 million in the proposed 2021 budget from $69.8 million in 2019 to $75.3 million.
The city has 522 employees in police and fire positions, city human resources director Bill O’Toole said.
The city’s 2021 general fund budget for wages and benefits has a 4.5% increase, much of which is dedicated for public safety, Pritchett said. The increase includes funding five additional police officers and 15 fire department employees.
The 20 public safety positions are among the total 24 new full-time positions the city would add in 2021.
The other positions are: one in fleet maintenance, one in water operations and two in sewer collections technician.
The total cost for those positions is about $2.1 million with about $1.7 million from the general fund and about $300,000 in the enterprise fund, O’Toole said. The enterprise fund would cover water, fleet and sewer positions.
Overall, 26% of the total proposed 2021 $593.6 million budget is for personnel, O’Toole said.
The city has 1,304 full-time positions and 248 part-time equivalent positions, he said.
