PCS Bail Bonds (www.PCSBailBonds.com), Fort Worth, Texas’ most trusted bail bond service, is weighing in on the proposed 2016 Fort Worth Police and community budgets.
The 2016 fiscal budget was recently unveiled for the city of Fort Worth. With an overall increase of 3.8%, the proposed budget also includes more funds towards police officers and other city-run operations. (Source: Baker, S., “Proposed Fort Worth budget boosts funds for streets, police officers,” Star-Telegram.com, August 11, 2015; http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article30719364.html.)
“Being able to build and maintain a safe community isn’t free,” says Paul Schuder, owner of PCS Bail Bonds. “It definitely takes a certain amount of dedication and commitment from members of the police force, but it also takes funding to help create the systems necessary and build the foundations of a safe community. With that in mind, it’s good to see that the city recognizes this fact.”
The total fiscal budget for next year will increase to $1.6 billion, with $610 million of that being designated towards police, fire, and other community services in what is called a “general fund.” The over $600 million in that fund represents a 3.6% increase from last year’s budget.
Another encouraging part of this proposed budget is that no major cuts to public services were suggested. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price acknowledges that the budget isn’t perfect, and not all of the requests were granted. However, in her own words, “It’s an excellent proposed budget and a move toward more and more services for our citizens. We’ve had a goal of working toward a sustainable, transparent budget.”
“This budget appears to feature a strong focus on public safety,” Schuder explains. “About 65% of the general fund, or close to $400 million, will go towards ensuring the safety of Fort Worth citizens, the majority of that being spent on the police force to train and hire new officers.”
“We at PCS Bail Bonds commend the city for making this type of dedication to its citizens,” Schuder concludes. “Though there is room for improvement, it’s hard to argue with a budget that increases police and firefighter budgets by 12% each and a three percent increase for parks and recreation. Now it’s about using those funds wisely and ensuring the people of Fort Worth are protected and that programs exist to enrich the community.”
PCS Bail Bonds have been an established part of the Fort Worth community for over 25 years.