Despite recent complaints about public safety in Columbia, voters rejected a property tax increase that would have funded additional jobs in the understaffed Columbia fire and police departments.
The City Council introduced Proposition One, championed by Mayor Bob McDavid, in July. The measure would have increased the property tax by 30 cents per $100 of assessed value, phased in over five years. It would have been the first property tax increase in Columbia since 1997.
But 60 percent of voters rejected the measure on Nov. 4’s ballot. Karen Taylor, a representative for Yes for Public Safety, which advocated for the tax increase, attributed the votes to Columbians’ weariness of tax increases.
“I think there is voter fatigue with taxes,” Taylor said. “I don’t believe for a minute that the public doesn’t support public safety.”
But no additional funding means that while Columbia’s population is growing, the size of its public safety force remains stagnant.
“As the community continues to grow we see an increase of about 10 percent in calls to emergency services,” said Brad Frazier, Columbia’s battalion chief and fire marshal. “But our personnel levels have remained the same, so there’s been a steady increase in the length of time it takes us to respond to calls.”
In 2013, the fire department’s average response time to a call for service was 7.17 minutes, up 14 seconds from 2009. At the same time, Engine Two was operational less than half the time, and fully staffing it would require six additional firefighters.
Frazier said the department may pursue other funding options to supplement the city’s public safety budget, like applying for grants. The department may also test cheaper methods of training, like distance learning. But his primary goal is to reduce the length of response times.
“We’ll continue to explore new and creative ways to reduce our response times using our existing staff and resources,” Frazier said.
Proposition One would also have added almost 40 police officers to the Columbia Police Department. Now the police department, like the fire department, will have to make do with existing staff.
“CPD will continue to provide the highest level of police services possible, in a professional manner, with the resources available to us,” CPD spokesman Latisha Stroer said. “We are always and will continue looking for safe ways to improve efficiency as we provide these services.”
Though McDavid made statements emphasizing the amount of time the department spends at “status zero,” where all officers are responding to 911 calls, other reports have questioned whether or not adding officers would increase efficiency.
Though Taylor’s campaign with Yes for Public Safety has finished, she is also a member of Keep Columbia Safe, a local organization that supports local law enforcement and public safety. Even though Proposition One was defeated, Taylor said she will keep encouraging the community to support public safety.
“So maybe we need to look at other options than a property tax,” Taylor said. “But whatever improvements we make, they’ll be done in small increments and at the grassroots level.”
