Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The three biggies – police, fire, and CWLP – presented their proposed budgets to Springfield aldermen Thursday evening. It was the third and final budget workshop.

Police chief Joe Behl said increasing officer pay to promote recruiting and retention seems to be working. “I feel like we’re doing well,” he said. “I know I have had three different officers approach me specifically one-on-one and want to have a conversation, saying, hey, we were looking to move, but we are not now. I think the grant we got helping with a little bit of retention money has given us the opportunity not only to recruit but to retain some of those folks as well, so I think we’re doing well.”

But Ald. Jennifer Notariano wanted no part of a military-style vehicle Behl wants to buy. “I have a real problem with the trend, the pressure, of militarizing the police and having a military vehicle,” she said. “It’s not a good use of $400,000 and not a good look.”

At the fire department, chief Nick Zummo wants to continually refresh the personnel to keep up with retirements. He wants to continually refresh the fleet because, among other things, it takes four years for the truck or engine you order to get into service. “One year we will buy two engines, the next year we will buy two engines, the third year we will buy a truck. Then that repeats, and in doing so, to get to the industry standards, we are almost to 2050 before we get the rigs that we have within those standards.”

CWLP water manager Todd LaFountain voiced frustration over the state of regulations since the Flint water crisis. “About every two years, a new piece of regulation is being pushed down either from the state or the feds in regards to lead,” said LaFountain. “So this is a very difficult proposition for us as utility managers in that the goal posts are constantly moving.”

Aldermen will now add their ideas, and the city budget is supposed to get a final vote before the fiscal year begins March 1.