Public discussion continues on Norfolk police station funding

NORFOLK, Neb. -- The city of Norfolk once again took time during its council meeting to discuss funding for its police station.

Last week, the council discussed an operational tax on alcohol sales and lodging to help finance upgrades to its police station and repairs to the city's roads. At that time, the majority of the public spoke against taxes as a source of funding.

At Monday's meeting, the city only discussed methods to fund the police station updates. The council suggested a 3% tax on alcohol sales, the same as the last meeting, as their way of funding.

This would raise an estimated $733,000 a year to be used for the police station updates.

Mayor Josh Moenning said funding for street repair would be found by adjusting the city's budget to add more funds to street repair. 

The public got an opportunity to speak, one such person was Jim McKenzie who argued the council should use existing funds to finance the project. He suggested this by using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, council priority funds, landscaping funds, and eliminating the city administrator position. 

"It could easily be paid for within our existing budget," McKenzie said. "I don't understand the push to implement a new tax to pay for this when we clearly have enough room in our existing budget to pay for it."

Moenning said some of the funding sources listed by McKenzie are being looked at for street repair.

He said the city would be unable to focus on both at the same time.

McKenzie said the city should relook at its budget and see where expenditures have gone and re-direct them towards the streets.

Not all speakers were in opposition to the tax. Brad Brooks said while the decision to implement tax is not easy, it needs to be done as services like the police station and roads are used by everyone in town.

"At the end of the day, everybody drives on these streets," Brooks said. "Consequently they ought to have to help fund them to improve them."

Should the council pursue the alcohol tax, the decision would be left up to the voters.