Living issue · Public safety
Public safety: people, service & the public dollar
Who provides the service? What do the records say it costs? Start with the evidence—and keep the unanswered questions visible.
Current staffing not confirmed — show evidence status
Current staffing not confirmed. The department entry point does not establish a dated comparable staffing count.
Sources checked:
- Reeds Spring Police Department entry point. Last successful retrieval: November 3, 2026.
What would resolve it: A dated staffing/FTE record.
Published evidence checked October 30, 2026. This is a dated snapshot, not a live status check. See coverage, missing records & check results →
Why this matters
Residents need dependable service and a clear account of what public money buys. A roster, a budget amendment and a statement about demand each answer different questions.
The dated record
October 2, 2025 · authorized
Pay-rate budget amendment adopted
Resolution 2025-20, adopted October 2, 2025, lists the police-chief hourly rate changing from $25 to $27, effective with the pay period beginning October 6. Its Exhibit 1 lists a $1,085.11 General Fund budget increase for that row, including listed payroll taxes. This is authorization, not an actual payment ledger.
Supporting passage ↓March 25, 2026 · proposal explained
City explains proposed public-safety tax
In its March 25, 2026 explanation, the City said calls for service had increased, it needed another part-time officer, pay was relatively low, and officers lacked a retirement plan. This is the City’s rationale, not independently verified workload or staffing data.
Supporting passage ↓April 7, 2026 · Election result, certified April 10
Voters pass the public-safety tax
Reeds Spring voters passed the City public-safety tax question in the April 7, 2026 election: 147 yes votes (66.52%) and 74 no votes (33.48%), 221 votes on the measure. Stone County’s official report was certified April 10. This vote does not establish collections, expenditures, staffing or purchases.
Supporting passage ↓September 30, 2026 · City statement
City explains Silverado reassignment
The City’s September 30, 2026 notice says the donated Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was decommissioned from police use, stripped of police equipment and markings, and assigned to Public Works. It gives no acquisition value, transfer valuation, or complete fleet inventory.
Supporting passage ↓
One document, read closely
A pay-rate change, in proportion.
Resolution 2025-20 · General Fund · adopted October 2, 2025 · effective pay period October 6. These are hourly rates in a budget amendment, not verified current pay or actual expenditures.
Actual spending not established — show evidence status
Actual spending not established. This adopted amendment authorizes a limited budget change. Actual expenditures, annual department totals and comparable service costs are not in the reviewed record. Unknown is not zero.
Sources checked:
- Resolution 2025-20: 2025 budget amendment. Last successful retrieval: November 3, 2026.
What would resolve it: Adopted/amended budgets and matching actual expenditure records.
| Position | Before / hour | New / hour | Listed budget increase* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police chief | $25.00 | $27.00 | $1,085.11 |
| City clerk | $25.00 | $26.00 | $542.56 |
Explain these numbers & methodology
*Exhibit 1 uses 63 days × 8 hours = 504 hours for each row. Chief: ($27 − $25) × 504 = $1,008 wage increase, plus $77.11 listed Social Security/Medicare. Clerk: ($26 − $25) × 504 = $504 plus $38.56. Listed total: $1,627.67. Payroll taxes are listed at 7.65%, with source rounding retained. No annualization, benefits estimate, population division or total police-cost inference is made.
The native PDF text was checked against a rendered image of the original table. The bars show hourly rates on the same $0–$30 scale. They do not show the dollar totals in the final column.
Fleet case study / September 30, 2026
The Silverado: a reassignment, not a fleet audit.
The City says its donated Chevrolet Silverado 1500 moved from police use to Public Works after police equipment and markings were removed.
- Donated to the CityCity statement; original donation date and valuation not supplied.
- Police use endedSeptember 30 notice says decommissioned; police markings and equipment removed.
- Public Works assignmentCity describes daily operational use; lifecycle cost not supplied.
This is one vehicle. The notice does not establish purchase price, sale proceeds, savings, operational need, misconduct or the size and condition of the remaining fleet.
Useful next records: donation acceptance, asset ledger, transfer authorization, equipment-removal costs, maintenance, mileage, insurance and replacement policy. No request has been sent.
Options to examine, not savings to assume
Compare the service, then the price.
| Possible model | Evidence needed | Cost / coverage |
|---|---|---|
| City department | Filled hours, supervision, benefits, dispatch, fleet, training and actuals | Unknown; no comparable offer verified |
| County contract | Written proposal, dedicated hours, supervision, dispatch and response terms | Unknown; no comparable offer verified |
| Shared municipal service | Partner authority, ordinance enforcement, written coverage and response standards, allocation and local accountability | Unknown; no comparable offer verified |
| Targeted staffing or shared support | Demand by time, overtime, mutual aid, transition costs, pension, debt, insurance obligations and dedicated revenues | Unknown; no comparable offer verified |
County patrol and school assignments are not a zero-cost substitute. No local contract price, guaranteed response level or savings estimate has been established. Service standards and legal authority would need review before any recommendation.
April 7: Voters passed the public-safety tax
Reeds Spring voters passed the City public-safety tax question in the April 7, 2026 election: 147 yes votes (66.52%) and 74 no votes (33.48%), 221 votes on the measure. Stone County’s official report was certified April 10. This vote does not establish collections, expenditures, staffing or purchases.
What the sources establish
- Attributed official statement
In its March 25, 2026 explanation, the City said calls for service had increased, it needed another part-time officer, pay was relatively low, and officers lacked a retirement plan. This is the City’s rationale, not independently verified workload or staffing data.
Public Safety Tax: City explanation · Article body, proposed revenue and staffing explanation
Passage & provenance
needs to add an additional part-time officer
Publisher: City of Reeds Spring. Document date: March 25, 2026. Retrieved October 30, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
- Attributed official statement
The City described a proposed restricted tax to support the Police Department ahead of the April 7 vote. That proposal alone does not establish collections or subsequent spending.
Public Safety Tax: City explanation · Article body, election and restricted-revenue description
Passage & provenance
Vote Public Safety Tax – April 7
Publisher: City of Reeds Spring. Document date: March 25, 2026. Retrieved October 30, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
- Attributed official statement
The City’s September 30, 2026 notice says the donated Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was decommissioned from police use, stripped of police equipment and markings, and assigned to Public Works. It gives no acquisition value, transfer valuation, or complete fleet inventory.
RSPD vehicle decommission update · September 30 article, decommission and assignment paragraphs
Passage & provenance
The truck was donated to the City of Reeds Spring
Publisher: City of Reeds Spring. Document date: September 30, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
- Documented fact
Resolution 2025-20, adopted October 2, 2025, lists the police-chief hourly rate changing from $25 to $27, effective with the pay period beginning October 6. Its Exhibit 1 lists a $1,085.11 General Fund budget increase for that row, including listed payroll taxes. This is authorization, not an actual payment ledger.
Resolution 2025-20: 2025 budget amendment · PDF page 3, Exhibit 1, Police Chief row; page 1 adoption date
Passage & provenance
Police Chief · $25.00 · $27.00
Publisher: City of Reeds Spring. Document date: October 2, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
- Documented fact
The 2020 Census counted 1,136 residents in Reeds Spring and 484 in Branson West. These are incorporated-city resident counts as of April 1, 2020, not ZIP-code, school-district, visitor, or police service populations.
2020 Census incorporated-place population, Missouri · Rows GEOID 2961112 and 2907989; POP100 column
Passage & provenance
Reeds Spring city · 1136; Branson West city · 484
Publisher: U.S. Census Bureau. Document date not established. Retrieved October 30, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
- Documented fact
Census Vintage 2025 estimates put July 1, 2025 resident populations at 1,223 for Reeds Spring and 485 for Branson West. Estimates can be revised. This file’s adjusted 2020 estimates base is different from the original 2020 Census count.
Vintage 2025 incorporated-place population estimates, Missouri · SUMLEV 162; STATE 29; PLACE 61112 and 07989; POPESTIMATE2025
Passage & provenance
Reeds Spring city · 1223; Branson West city · 485
Publisher: U.S. Census Bureau. Document date not established. Retrieved October 30, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
- Documented fact
The Sheriff’s Office publishes a Stone County Patrol Division and lists 417-357-6116 as its non-emergency number. Its roster does not establish spare capacity, guaranteed response times, or a price for contracted municipal service.
Patrol Division · Patrol Division introduction and footer
Passage & provenance
serve the citizens of Stone County
Publisher: Stone County Sheriff’s Office. Document date not established. Retrieved October 30, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
- Attributed official statement
The Sheriff’s undated school-resource page describes two deputies assigned to Reeds Spring School District and includes 2024 references. This is a school assignment described by the office, not proof of today’s staffing or two municipal patrol positions.
School Resource Deputies · Reeds Spring paragraph; 2024 references on same page
Passage & provenance
Two deputies are assigned to Reeds Spring School District
Publisher: Stone County Sheriff’s Office. Document date not established. Retrieved October 30, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
- Attributed official statement
Branson West describes its own full-time police force. Its page is not a staffing comparison on a common date, an agreement to cover Reeds Spring, or a quote for shared service.
Branson West Police Department · Police introduction, first paragraph
Passage & provenance
Our full-time force
Publisher: City of Branson West. Document date not established. Retrieved October 30, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
- Documented fact
Reeds Spring voters passed the City public-safety tax question in the April 7, 2026 election: 147 yes votes (66.52%) and 74 no votes (33.48%), 221 votes on the measure. Stone County’s official report was certified April 10. This vote does not establish collections, expenditures, staffing or purchases.
April 7, 2026 official election summary and certification · Page 5 of 6, lower-left Reeds Spring City Public Safety Tax Question; certification on page 6
Passage & provenance
YES 147 66.52% NO 74 33.48%
Publisher: Stone County Clerk. Document date: April 10, 2026. Retrieved October 31, 2026. Source record and version.
Search published information · Corrections & response policy
What would complete the picture?
- What are current filled and authorized sworn, civilian, part-time and reserve positions, FTEs, vacancies and funded hours?
- What are calls for service, officer-initiated activity, response times, mutual aid and out-of-city assists for a common period?
- What are adopted and amended police appropriations and actual expenditures by fund and fiscal year?
- What is the current fleet inventory, ownership, acquisition method, operating cost and replacement plan?
- What were the adopted legal terms, subsequent tax collections and actual expenditures?
No records request has been sent. A missing record here does not mean the record does not exist or establish misconduct.
The official explanation
The City’s March 25 tax explanation and September 30 vehicle notice are attributed public statements. No response to this site’s questions has been requested or received.
What happens next?
Publish a complete, dated staffing and workload baseline before computing per-officer or per-call costs. Compare service options only with written scope, coverage and cost information.
Compare source changes
The dated revisions below identify the changes to this issue. Original sources remain linked above. The checker records retrieval and hash changes; a changed hash alone is not a substantive policy change.
Compare approved source versions with latest checks →Corrections & revision history
No material corrections recorded.
- October 30, 2026 · 2026-10-30.2 — Initial public-safety evidence edition. Attributed explanations, budget authorization, resident counts and unknowns distinguished.
- October 31, 2026 · 2026-10-31.tax-result.1 — Added the April 7 public-safety tax result from the official county report, certified April 10. Collections and spending remain separate open questions.