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In order to finance a new Lawrence fire station slated to open in 2029, the city is looking at potential cuts across departments for its 2027 budget.
Options for the city to fund approximately $4.5 million for a new fire station — which will be located in the growing northwestern part of town — includes imposing a 3-mill levy tax rate increase, making budget cuts across city departments, or a combination of both, city staff says.
These options were discussed at a city commission meeting Tuesday.
City staff say to overcome a budget deficit, departments across the board are being asked to consider what a 4% budget decrease in 2027 would look like.
There are a few exceptions with lower reductions: Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) at a 2% reduction, Lawrence Police Department (LKPD) at 3%, and the Parks and Recreation Department at 3.5%.
At the city commission meeting, city staff continuously reminded both commissioners and the public that budget talks are are in the preliminary stages — not recommendations for commissioners.
Both Lawrence's police and fire departments saw budget reductions in 2026.
RELATED | Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical 2026 budget talks continue, proposed cuts would impact staffing
"I'm more concerned than anything else," Simon Stephenson, president of IAFF Local 1596, said. "We need to make sure that we make the priority the safety and security of Lawrence."
Noted in city staff's presentation on Tuesday were five potential cuts to LDCFM positions — four command staff and one administrative, the elimination of the accreditation process, and limiting public engagement and education opportunities.
For LKPD, the potential cuts could call for an estimated elimination of 10 positions — six sworn and four nonsworn, according to the city staff report.
“It has been several years of this, just slowly trying to squeeze both agencies," said chair of the Lawrence Police Officers' Association. "So, it has just become harder and harder to do our jobs.”
City staff are looking at potentially eliminating the police department's downtown foot patrol and reducing school resource officer (SRO) positions.
In the last budget cycle, the city eliminated two SRO positions, resulting in a reduction from six to four. The current considerations would eliminate another two positions, leaving two school resource officers to serve more than 11,000 students at Lawrence Public Schools.
Multiple officers with LKPD spoke in an off-duty capacity at the Tuesday city commission meeting.
Public comment is limited to three minutes per speaker, and during his comment, Lawrence school resource officer Dan Affalter noted that is the national average for police response time for an active shooter event.
Affalter, who says he used to serve three schools but now serves seven after last year's budget cuts, asked the city commission to keep that response time in mind while watching the running timer during his comment.
“As we are in the last minute, think about sitting in a classroom, scared, hiding, wondering if you’ll get to see your family again," Affalter said. "You might be able to hear the sirens in the distance if you’re able to get out of the building and run. If the budget wasn’t cut and the SROs were in the building, this could’ve been over already, but because of the budget cuts, we weren’t there. That would be really hard to explain to a family as to why their child isn’t coming home.”
Research affiliated with universities and RAND Corporation found no evidence of police presence in schools resulting in the prevention of school shootings or gun-related incidents.
The presence of an SRO has "resulted in rapid contact with the perpetrator and neutralization of the threat," according to an example provided by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Brandi Green spoke Tuesday night about the fear her foster child had of police officers due to the child's experience with law enforcement when she was removed from her home. Green said a Lawrence school resource officer changed her foster child's perception of police.
“School resource officers are, above all else, a powerfully positive relationship with a trusted adult in our community’s kids," Green said.
Inman said cuts to the SRO unit would impact patrol units.
“SROs do so much in this community," Inman said. "Not only do they handle all the calls for service in schools, but they build gigantic relationships with these kids.”
The police department's Community Service Technician program could also face elimination, according to the city staff report.
Inman said community service technicians, who handle incidents comparable to nonemergency calls, take 3,600 calls a year. He said the elimination of that program would also impact patrol units.
Other community members with current or previous law enforcement experience voiced their concerns about patrol officers having to shift their attention to schools if there are less SROs in the community.
The City of Lawrence fully funds the Lawrence Police Department's school resource officer unit, according to acting city manager Casey Toomay.
"I think we should have more budget meetings in general," said City Commissioner Kristine Polian. "This budget season, we've got a lot of hard decisions, and if we have to raise 3 mills, I certainly want every single person in this community to have the opportunity to understand why we're doing it."
City Commissioner Mike Dever is asking city staff for more "micro details" of department budgets.
"I don't think we'll be able to pull off all the changes we want to do, plus maintaining our public safety levels without a mill levy increase, period," Dever said. "That's how I see it."
Dever said members of the police department made it clear Tuesday night that commissioners need to publicly face the budget issues the department is dealing with.
“We stand together," Stephenson said. "Public safety is not one department — we rely on each other day in and day out.”
The budget is set to be adopted on Sept. 15.
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