The current 2024 budget is $26,937,092.

Proposed Budget 

• Base Adjustments - $358,331 (1.33% increase)
• 3.8% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to employee salaries - $815,898
• Salary Survey - $439,100
• Total increase over 2024 budget - $2,049,547
• 2025 Proposed Budget - $28,986,639.17 (7.61% increase)
• Carryover from 2024 budget – ($259,663.17)
• 2024 Proposed Budget Realized Cost - $26,937,092 (6.64% increase)  

“Our guiding compass has, and always will be, centered around what we believe is best for the people of the organization while juggling the needs and expectations of the community we serve,” Director Brian Peete said. “We must keep our legitimacy intact and remain unwavering stewards of the money we are entrusted with.”

Yearly Base Adjustments include turnover (retirements and positions that have left RCPD), changes in benefits (KPF and KPERS mandatory retirement programs), merit-based steps, and longevity pay.

RCPD has utilized the Consumer Price Index (CPI) Midwest Region annualized number for the past 16 years to determine COLA. The 2023 annual was 3.8%.

The 2025 budget proposal reflects implementation year three of the Arnold Group (TAG) salary survey proposals. Implementation of the survey has been a good-faith effort on our part to bolster retention by staying competitive with market salaries. The proposed 2025 implementation would cover 33% of the remaining salary survey which totals $439,100.

“It was our initial goal to have the salary survey completely implemented within three (3) years to remain relevant and competitive in the job market,” Peete said. “However, none of us could have foreseen the profound impacts inflation would have on our everyday costs of operation. Given the same, a more realistic goal of five (5) years for complete implementation has been established. We must continue to invest in our people in order to better serve our community.”  

During internal budget discussions, approximately $1,239,523 of current funds were reallocated to help reduce the overall increase for the 2025 budget. This also allowed for the continued implementation of salary increases to bring them closer to market. Additionally, unused budget funds in the amount of $259,663 from the 2023 budget will carry over to and offset the 2025 budget. 

It bears mentioning the majority (87%) of the RCPD budget is expended on personnel. That said, we are currently authorized 113 officers. That amounts to approximately 1.57 police officers per 1,000 residents in Riley County. Comparatively speaking, this number is significantly lower than the state (2.6) and national (2.4) ratios. Even so, Riley County continues to enjoy lower crime rates than the state average for the past 20 years. Additionally, RCPD’s percentage of the City and County’s overall budget remains comparable to or lower than similarly-sized agencies in the region.

At the conclusion of the presentation, members of the law board requested alternate budget proposals be submitted next month lower than that proposed today. The next law board meeting will be held on May 20, 2024.