Police vehicle capital reserve fund necessary to protect you

To The Daily Sun,

I ask for your support on Ashland Article 15, to put $25,000 in the capital reserve to repair and replace police department vehicles.

I have been the chief here for 10 years and I have tried many different ways to keep our vehicles in tip-top shape and to replace them when needed. I have attempted to keep the vehicles on a rotation for replacement by working with the Capital Improvement Committee in an effort to stabilize the taxes and to avoid the spike in taxes. The only method that has been proven to be effective is the capital reserve approach. When vehicles are purchased outright, it causes a spike in the tax rate. Therefore, your support on Article 15 is very important to keep that from happening.

This year, I have decided to ask for $25,000 for the capital reserve after evaluating the status of our Capital Improvement Plan for vehicle repair and replacement rather than the $30,000 requested in other years. I am hopeful that the amount asked for in the future may be able to be lowered as well. This possibility can only exist if we stick to the capital reserve program.

I know that there will be tough decisions for us as taxpayers to make when we go to the polls to vote this year. As we all know, the sting of the increased tax rate deters voters from voting for any spending. I do have faith in the voters to do the right thing in this case. Should this article not pass this year, it will put us in the catchup mode for the future, which ultimately makes the tax situation worse.

Another important or maybe the most important factor for the replacement and repair of our vehicles is to ensure that we can protect and serve the citizens of Ashland and the public. Our cruisers are a vital piece of equipment when it comes to your protection, as it is how we get to you when you need us. Without reliable vehicles, your safety and that of others is jeopardized. My job is to make sure that the public is protected; therefore, the department needs your support in order for us to effectively do our job, so please support Article 15. Without your support to keep this in place, it will ultimately cost us, the taxpayers, more money in the long run.

I thank you for your support on March 12.

Anthony L. Randall

Chief of Police

Ashland