Salem resident Rex Mook is so convinced that the city should protect school students and personnel that he offered to pay toward the salary of an additional School Resource Officer.

Mook was one of two citizens who spoke at the May 14 public hearing for the City of Salem’s $78.01-million city budget proposed for the fiscal year 2018-19. The other was Cecil Kelly, who wanted to know how much money Salem expects from the state. The answer is $11.8 million to the city’s general fund.

The proposed Salem budget, which is about $2 million more in revenue and expenditures than originally advertised the first week of April, reflects additional income from increased property values and personal property, Finance Director Rosie Jordan told Council and citizens at the hearing, “and tweaking some of the revenue.” Proposed property taxes will remain the same, a rate of $1.18 per $100 in value.

The budget is 3.7 percent more than the current year’s budget, and shows “a nice increase, the best in ten years,” Jordan pointed out.

Councilmembers voted to approve the budget on first reading. It will not be officially adopted until after a second reading and vote set for Tuesday, May 29, the day after the regular meeting date which falls on Memorial Day when city offices are closed.

“It makes a lot of sense to have a one-to-one relationship” of School Resource Officers in schools, Mook said. “Think about what a seventh officer could do. I’m here to contribute financially, he said, but did not mention how much he was willing to pay.

Two additional entry-level officers to work in Salem schools are in the proposed budget, at a cost for the two of $117,493 including benefits. In answer to Mook’s question, Mayor Randy Foley said SRO’s start around $45-$50,000. When those two are hired and trained, there would be a SRO in each of Salem’s four elementary schools, the middle school and high school.

“I think we as a community we owe it to our most vulnerable – our kids in schools,” – Resident Rex Mook, who wants the city to hire an additional SRO.

Mook wants the city to consider hiring a seventh officer to fill in at schools as needed. “What happens when one of the SRS is in court or on vacation or sick? Think about what a seventh officer could do. That officer could be located at Salem High School,” he suggested.

“I think we as a community we owe it to our most vulnerable – our kids in schools,” to keep them safe. “Having two at the high school seems to make sense to me, particularly in today’s environment,” concluded Mook, who has a daughter who teaches at SHS, and grandchildren in the school system.

Vice Chairman Bill Jones asked Salem City Manager Kevin Boggess, and Boggess agreed, to talk with Police Chief Crawley about the possibilities of hiring a seventh officer.

During the school year, School Resource Officers teach Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) to students, show a law enforcement presence in the schools especially in times of emergencies, get to know students, and are available for students to go to with safety concerns.

The budget also includes six full-time firefighters that will replace part-time positions. Both the Salem Fire & Emergency Medical Services and the Salem Police requests came from the chiefs.

Salem City Council will transfer $20.4 million to the city’s schools, “a practice the city has to help the schools,” Jordan said. The budget also includes the third phase of implementing a compensation study, which will go into effect July 1 and provides increases to Salem City employees who make the least amount. Employees went without raises during most of the ten years of the recession.

Salem City Schools still do not know how much state money they will get, because the General Assembly has not agreed on the state budget and will not meet again until next Tuesday in Richmond.

At the May 14 meeting, Council also approved:

• Borrowing $5 million for various capital projects, including replacing the public safety radio system.
• Authorizing issuance and sale of up to $6.2 million in general obligation public improvement bonds to improve the sewer collection system, at zero percent interest, from the Department of Environmental Quality. It will be repaid over 20 years.
• Accepting and appropriate $45,000 donated by the Salem Rotary Club ($25,000) and Salem Kiwanis Club ($20,000) for a new scoreboard at Kiwanis Field.
• Appropriated funding for field renovations to Salem Memorial Park baseball field at the cost of $202,504. The Salem Red Sox baseball corporation will fund the other half of the renovation costs for grading, irrigation, sod installation and other improvements done at the baseball park during the offseason.