Police union wants tax issue before voters
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By Thomas Geyer | Wednesday, August 29, 2007 |
For six hours, members of Davenport’s Union of Professional Police spent Tuesday sweating and talking to people about the need for more officers on the street.
Working outside of Whitey’s Ice Cream on West Locust Street, the officers answered questions and asked people to sign their petition to put before voters a measure that would use 10 percent of the local option sales tax to pay for additional manpower and equipment.
“It’s going in waves” said Police Cpl. Eric Gruenhagen. “We’ve had a very good, very receptive stream of people.
“They’re all asking to sign and they’ve come here for the sole purpose of signing,”
he added.
The union also was giving people a free scoop of Whitey’s Ice Cream, not just for signing, but asking questions.
But there is a question on just when the police can get their resolution to the voters.
They were hoping to put the referendum on the
November ballot.
However, Scott County Auditor Karen Fitzsimmons said that according to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, since the police are submitting a petition, it would have to be for a countywide election.
Fitzsimmons said she has been following the issue and has talked to the Secretary of State’s Office about how and when it can be placed on the ballot.
“Because the city council did not approve it, and because it is a petition drive, the election would need to be countywide,” she said, adding that is what was told to her by the Secretary of State’s Office.
“In 1988, each city in the county had an option to decide what they wanted to do with the tax,” she said. “Each city had to determine the wording on how they would spend the money in their communities.”
The election, she said, would be held within 120 days of when the police union filed the paperwork and signatures with the Scott County Board of Supervisors.
Fitzsimmons strongly recommends all the interested parties to contact the Secretary of State’s Office for clarification on the issue and to present their side of any arguments that may arise.
Union spokesman Jim Meyrer said the union was told by the Scott County Auditor’s Office that they would need about 2,800 signatures, or 5 percent of the total number of voters who participated in the last countywide election. If so, then it’s a done deal.
“I’m pretty sure we’ve got it,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean people should stop signing.”
Scott County Administrator Ray Wierson echoed the number of signatures needed.
“What this will do is force all jurisdictions to vote on the use of the sales tax,” he said. “Many areas may not be changing their use. Some areas may change the wording for their tax use from something like ‘property tax relief’ or ‘capital improvements’ to something like ‘any lawful purpose.’”
The Union of Professional Police is petitioning to have an election so that Davenport voters can approve a measure that would use 10 percent of the local option sales tax for the hiring of police officers.
Currently, 60 percent of the sales tax goes to property tax relief while 40 percent goes to capital improvements. The police union would like the tax split three ways: 60 percent for property tax relief, 30 percent for capital improvements, and 10 percent going to more officers.
Alderman Barney Barnhill, 7th Ward, who voted against the measure during a city council meeting July 18, signed the petition and said he would vote for the measure when there is an election on the issue.
“I couldn’t support it as an alderman, because since we voted in the local option sales tax in 1988 none of it has ever gone to salaries,” he said. “I believe that money for personnel should be put into the city budget. But I believe in the democratic process and the right to petition. I know the guys are understaffed. If it passes, it passes.”
Kristie Richardson, who stopped to sign the petition, said she supports the police.
“You need good police protection otherwise why build the projects,” she said. “Why build something you can’t protect?”
Julie Clawson, who is running for an at-large aldermanic seat in the next city election, said she did research that indicated that many cities of comparable size to Davenport are able to have more officers.
“They are using a lot more manpower,” she said. “They even have foot patrols and community policing, which I am all for.”
Police Cpl. Jason Willey said that more first responders are needed on the street.
“Right now we’re a reactive force,” he said. “With more officers on the street we can be proactive.”
Thomas Geyer can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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