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Haymarket Town Council Receives Recommended Budget

Submitted by Webmaster on Thu, 03/08/2007 - 1:15am. Other News Sources


Haymarket Town Council receives recommended budget
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Haymarket Town Council receives recommended budget
By: Dan Roem
Gainesville Times
03/07/2007

Haymarket town manager Gene Swearingen has submitted a first-draft budget for the coming year that does not increase property tax rates or cut core services.

The $1.5 million proposal is a $114,628 decrease from the current budget, largely due to less new development revenue coming into town since most of Haymarket has already been developed.

Swearingen stressed the need for a $52,846 reserve fund or "rainy-day account" that can be used for unexpected expenditures.

"We're living month to month, paycheck to paycheck," the town manager told the council.

Police Chief James Roop told the council he expects the police department, which has five full-time paid officers and five unpaid reserves, will exceed its current budget by 6 percent due to higher maintenance costs of cruisers. That higher cost comes as the department is bringing in 25 percent more money from fines than anticipated.

Collecting more fines has meant cruisers and officers have spent more time on the street, thus driving up fuel usage and vehicle wear, according to Roop.

"The more you're out here writing tickets," Roop said, "the more everything you need."

Roop formally asked the council for a new computer for the department because one of the department's three computers is four years old and has crashed on multiple occasions, though all information has been retrieved. He said the new computer will cost about $2,500.

The police chief said he would like a 20-percent increase in the department's budget from the current fiscal year. However, Swearingen and chief financial officer James Naradzay have slated an increase of only 14 percent in public safety for 2007-08, compared to the current budget of $336,639.

A town council vote on the budget will not be held until June, so there is time for amendments.

Two business approvals that sparked a bit of controversy were...

Haymarket Town Council receives recommended budget
(Click above link to read full article.)

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More Lies from the Chief!

Submitted by WatchDog on Sun, 03/25/2007 - 10:19pm.

"Police Chief James Roop told the council he expects the police department, which has five full-time paid officers and five unpaid reserves, will exceed its current budget by 6 percent due to higher maintenance costs of cruisers. That higher cost comes as the department is bringing in 25 percent more money from fines than anticipated."

1st of all - they don't have 5 reserves. They terminated the reserve program to get rid of all the trained officers they had last year. Now they are bringing on reserves that they have to train. One just finished riding with a senior officer and one is in the academy. Seems odd from a management perspective as to why you would get rid of experienced, trained, and fully certified officers to bring on new rookies. Funny how everyone that testified against the chief truthfully in his sexual harrassment investigation is no longer with the department. See www.haymarketcouncil.com.

Highter Maintenance Costs?? Lets think about this....If he and his Sgt, weren't putting 70 miles a day on two cars just driving back and forth to home, think how much money the town could save. See Chief Defies Mayor Again?
for a better breakdown on how much he and the Sgt. waste. They spend more miles driving back and forth home than they do patroling the town.

As far as bringing in 25% more fines. This is after they decreased their expected fine revenue from the year before. This is also after the Chief LIED and promised a 24 hour patrol once the town allowed him to hire an extra person. However, the only thing that changed was the fine amounts decreased once an extra officer was hired! Ohh, and the Chief doesn't show up for work as often but the Town Council still pays him his full salary.

Citizens of Haymarket - when are you going to hold your Town Council accountable? We pay for 24 hour police protection but Prince William County Police are forced to answer calls in Haymarket because certain Officers will not answer the radio or show up for work. These aren't rookie officers, these are the senior officers on the department.

SAY NO TO THE POLICE BUDGET INCREASE!

Just remember - Always on Guard

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Police Budget

Submitted by SkinsFan on Mon, 03/26/2007 - 9:13am.

Wonder why maintenance costs are so high this year?

They put money into the old grey unmarked unit...even though it was no longer needed once the hot rod was purchased.

They still have the old camo Blazer that they obtained fraudulently from the US Army. They want to "fix it up" for bad weather.

They jerry-rigged the speed trailer to "save" money instead of buying it ready to go. Now, it stays beside the station for repars most days.

They are wasting money to minimally upgrade the Harrover House to make a make-shift PD station. They "hope" that PWC will want to chip in and make is a sub-station. But will the Chief really want that? no, because then others will learn of his true schedule.

Won't it be interesting how often the residents of Haymarket Village will see his burgandy car there? Also, will he walk to pooch on a leash? Can't wait to hear that the K9 bit a child playing in those fields.

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You had to get me started on the Dog!

Submitted by WatchDog on Mon, 03/26/2007 - 9:56pm.

The Chief of Police told the Town Council last year that he was going to retire the dog since it has yet to make one drug find in the 3 + years he has had it. The Council believed the Chief and didn't include the dog last year in the budget.

Guess What?!? The Chief keeps submitting bills for his K-9 and the town keeps paying them without a line item in the town budget. Is this legal? If the town wants to save $3,000 a year, QUIT paying for Jim Roop's pet dog!

If you want to verify that they keep paying for his dog without the required budget, just pick up a copy of the budget at the next town council meeting. You will see it listed under Police Department expenses with no budget amount approved.

And the Chief wants more money. He is so fiscally irresponsible, I wouldn't give him a dime to buy another pack of cigarettes to smoke in public! And we all know how professional that looks.

Just remember - Always on Guard

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