Progress As Promised

The Board of Aldermen appointed three residents, each bringing valuable expertise in law enforcement, finance, and community representation to review Public Safety Sales Tax (PSST) expenditures to ensure accountability. On Wednesday, the PSST Review Committee met to review the FY2026 6-month budget and progress.

We would like to take a moment to thank the voters for approving the PSST last April. Since collections began in October 2025, the City has made significant progress toward the goals outlined in the educational materials shared with the community.

The City identified the following priorities for use of these funds: increasing compensation and benefits to support recruitment and retention, adding staff along with necessary equipment, and implementing a full-time animal control program.

To date, the City has partnered with the Fraternal Order of Police to increase the starting salary for Police Officers by 25% and for Police Sergeants by 17.7%. In addition, beginning in July 2026, the LAGERS retirement benefit will increase to the highest multiplier of 2.00%. The Board has also approved the addition of a Support Services Captain, a role that will enhance organizational structure and staff accountability.

Development of the Animal Control Program is ongoing. Hiring for the Animal Control position will occur following the onboarding of the new Captain to ensure proper program oversight and implementation.

The City is encouraged by the positive momentum within the Smithville Police Department throughout FY2026 and looks forward to building on this progress in the years ahead.