ASOTIN, Wash. — The Asotin Police Department is down to one full-time officer due to a city council budget cut.
Asotin Police Chief Monte Renzelman is the only officer left after Asotin City Council approved the city’s budget, which included a big cut to law enforcement.
Renzelman said they started 2017 with him, a full-time officer, a student resource officer and two part-time reserve officers. At the begin of 2018, they were left with only himself, a full-time officer and one part-time reserve officer. Now, it's just him.
In November, Asotin voters rejected a levy lid lift to help fund police, fire, parks and city services.
Mayor Vikki Bonfield told the Lewiston Tribune, the outcome translates into “dire consequences” for the city’s budget. The levy lid lift would’ve brought in an additional $1.10 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, according to the paper. Bonfield told KREM the failure led to the city making major cuts.
"One of our officers was a School Resource Officer and funding for that position ended and the City and School could not continue to fund the position. Our community is small and because the Corps of Engineers owns all of the City's waterfront (which is 60% of our flat ground) we have very little economic development. We rely almost solely on property taxes," Bonfield explained.
She said they city will only receive $129,000 in property taxes in 2019.
Renzelman will work 40 hours a week. He said he will make his schedule random and will rotate hours to make sure people know he’s around.
He said he feels terrible for those officers who were laid off because he was responsible for them.
Renzelman said he will “do everything he can” to make sure people in the city of Asotin feel safe.
He said Asotin isn't a high crime area but he credited the amount of police presences for the low numbers.