2026/6/23 - City Council Budget Workshop

The City of Caldwell held a City Council Budget Workshop on June 23, 2026, focusing extensively on the upcoming fiscal year budget requests and allocations across multiple departments including police, finance, human resources, IT, city attorney, and city clerk. A significant portion of the discussion centered on the police department's budget needs, highlighting a request for 17 new sworn officers, five non-sworn positions, and a 3.5% pay raise to remain competitive with neighboring agencies. The police chief also proposed transitioning from the Flock automated license plate reader system to a bundled contract with Axon, which would consolidate body cameras, tasers, drones, and ALPR technology, potentially saving the city money over a ten-year contract while enhancing technology capabilities. The council discussed the financial challenges posed by contract increases for prosecution and dispatch services, which are part of the police budget but beyond their direct control, and the impact of the potential formation of a fire district on the city’s budget and property tax revenues. Finance and HR departments presented plans for new software implementations aimed at improving efficiency and reducing personnel needs, with associated one-time and ongoing costs. The city attorney requested an additional paralegal position to manage increasing workloads, particularly related to public records requests, which were noted to cost the city approximately $500,000 in staff time annually. The workshop also covered capital improvement projects, vehicle leasing, and the need for strategic decisions on fee adjustments and budget priorities. The council was urged to make timely decisions, especially regarding the fire district formation, to meet statutory deadlines for budget finalization.