CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With no hesitation, the City of Corpus Christi pledged to back the blue. City Mayor Joe McComb said as long as he's the Mayor, there will be no cuts to the police department's budget.
"I don't mind signing [the pledge]," McComb said. "We've already done it. I mean we're committed. Defunding -- that's just not in our vocabulary."
Before every fiscal year, city officials get together and discuss a proposed budget. For the 2020-2021 fiscal year, here are the numbers to expect.
In the budget, police and fire are combined under Public Safety, which totals to $136.6 million with $88 million of that coming from property taxes.
When it comes to payroll, police will account for less than 14-percent, while civilian employees account for 75-percent. This number has been the same since 2017.
With that -- Corpus Christi committed to funding for 25 additional police officers by 2024 at a rate of five officers a year. More police officers means more equipment and resources.
"We've spent millions of dollars on infrastructure for the police, computer programs, facilities that they're in," McComb added.
On top of that -- the city also purchased 854 radios for Public Safety and Department Operations at 0-percent interest for the next three years. Even with this, the 2021 proposed budget is at its lowest since 2017.
"The goal is that we try to meet the needs that we have with the finances we got," McComb said.
The proposed fiscal year operating budget was prepared to balance the City Council and community priorities.