Stafford disbanding police K-9 unit to deal with budget shortfall

Business Administrator James Moran said this morning that next month the township Police Department’s K-9 Unit will be disbanded as part of cost saving measures for budget constraints.

Moran said dissolving the unit will save the township about $26,000 in training costs for two police officers.

Police Chief Thomas Conroy failed to provide information to Moran about the unit’s operating costs and alternative K-9 services that could be brought into the township.

“How do you justify a program like this when you’re thinking of laying people off,” Moran said.

Stafford Township Mayor John McMenamin announced yesterday that he is considering laying off five police officers.

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Harris County may look to reserves for Sheriff’s Office

Members of Commissioners Court said Tuesday that the county may need to exempt the Sheriff’s Office from a hiring freeze and dip into reserve funds to increase the number of deputies, even as the court cuts millions in spending from other departments.

A $1.36 billion preliminary budget discussed at Commissioners Court would be about $52 million less than what Harris County will have spent in the year ending Sunday.

Most of the county budget is funded by property taxes, and decreasing property values likely will reduce the amount of taxes collected, according to a report by the county budget office.

The preliminary budget would reduce Sheriff’s Office spending from $424 million this year to $361 million in the coming year. Commissioners accepted the preliminary budget with few changes. They are scheduled to officially adopt a spending plan on March 9.

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