How much it will cost — along with how much taxes would have to increase — to hire at least one police officer for Pewee Valley remained unclear as of last Friday afternoon.
Following the latest contentious meeting between residents who have for months pushed the city council to create its own police force, Mayor Bob Rogers said City Treasurer Stan Clark is putting together how much it will cost after telling residents at the city’s most recent meeting that figure is at least $188,000 annually for a single officer.
What isn’t unclear is that Rogers, Sheriff Tim Wakefield and residents who spoke out during the meeting are concerned about public safety following an incident several weeks ago during which a suspect in a stolen vehicle broke into at least one home, stole firearms and eluded police for nearly 24 hours before being captured in Pewee Valley.
“It’s coming and there’s no other way to put it,” Wakefield said during the meeting, referencing the city’s border with Louisville Metro. “We have nicer things here. We live in a safer, calmer atmosphere and these people are predators. That’s what they’re looking for.”
Following the meeting, Rogers said he agreed that sharing a county line with Jefferson is concerning when it comes to crime.
“I tell people don’t run to Kroger at night to get something by yourself,” said Rogers, referring to the nearby grocery store at the county line. “You shouldn’t do that anymore. Don’t go get gas at night. Get it in the daytime. It’s only going to get worse.”
Pewee Valley, which previously had its own police chief, now contracts for the sheriff’s office to provide 140 patrol hours each month. That cost is soon going to increase from $50 an hour to $65, Wakefield said.
Rogers said during the meeting he estimates hiring just one officer would cost about $188,000 a year, a cost that wouldn’t include items such as body and vehicle cameras and a host of other expenses.
Several residents said they are in favor of paying additional taxes for the service.
“Every resident I’ve spoken to is in support of a tax increase to bring a police officer back,” said Mary Lowry, who expressed her concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting.
“People are fired up about this,” said Pat Harned, who continued asking questions after the meeting adjourned and launched a conversation that went on for nearly another hour between Rogers, council members and the audience.
“It’s an important thing for this city. We want police officers like we’ve had in the past.”
Harned’s comments triggered other comments as residents and Rogers tried speaking over each other.
“This back and forth doesn’t get us anywhere,” Rogers insisted. “We need to come up with what the tax increase is going to be and it’s going to be more than 4%.”
“I think we’ll see how much people want it when they hear how much more taxes they have to pay,” Rogers said after the meeting. “The $188,000 number came from a reputable source, and that’s probably a low number for just one officer. The recommendation is you really need two and that’s a lot of money for a small town.”
According to data provided by Oldham County Property Value Administrator Barbara Dietrich’s office, Pewee Valley has an overall assessed value of about $241 million, with all but $10 million of that assessment coming from residential lots.
The city’s 2023 tax rate sits at $1.44 per $1,000 in assessed value. To generate an additional $188,000, that rate would have to increase 52% to $2.18 per $1,000 in assessed value. That means a home valued at $300,000 and currently paying $432 annually in city property taxes would pay $654, data show.
Doing so, Rogers points out, would exceed the 4% limit spelled out in House Bill 44, standing legislation that governs how taxing districts such as schools, counties and cities set their annual tax rates.
While taxing districts can set rates of their choosing, any rate that generates more than 4% in additional revenue requires not only a public hearing but would allow voters to form a petition to force a recall vote on that rate.
“I understand where people are coming from,” Rogers said. “But they have to be willing to pay for it. We will see when the time comes.
“We have a budget of around $600,000 and change. That’s to run the whole town, build roads and includes garbage collection. I might be fooled and everyone will say they want to pay the increase. If that’s the case, that’s the case.”