Dearborn Police Department Budget 2020

The Police Department represents 43% of the city’s 2020 General Fund spending, and is the largest portion of the city’s budget. This amounts to about $41 million annually and has been increasing over the last few years.

Due to charter mandated minimum staffing requirements, the number of officers employed by Dearborn Police is inflexible. This means that reductions to the city's budget must come from other city services.

The inflated police department budget has resulted significant financial strife for the City of Dearborn, including the cessation of city services, and increases in City property taxes.

(Image from Budget Workshop Agenda DAC City Council Chambers, page 9.)

The Dearborn Police Department receives approximately 25% of the city's general fund budget. This amounted to a total of $26,014,005.

In FY 2006 City services include a City Health Department which provides low-cost and referral health services to 15,000 individuals annually; eight open air pools; and four public library branches. The City describes itself as a "full service government".

Data and quotation retrieved from "City of Dearborn, Michigan Comprehensive Annual Finance Report For the Year Ending June 30, 2007" submitted to the State of Michigan.

In 2007, the city of Dearborn adopts a new charter which includes a minimum staffing provision for the Dearborn Police Department.

The Dearborn Police Department receives approximately 34% of the city's general fund budget. This amounted to a total of $35,660,063. A budgetary increase of over $9 million from the 2006 funding level.

Following the 2007 adoption of the city's new charter the City of Dearborn experienced a $20 million budget short fall. The City of Dearborn cut 35% of its non-public safety Full Time Employees, closed down the City Health Department, shut down three public pools, and shuttered the Dearborn Public Library Snow Branch. These moves also include the approval of a 3.5 mil increase in property taxes.

In 2011, Dearborn City Council was given an opportunity to vote on whether an amendment to the City's Charter should be put to a vote of the public. Dearborn City Council voted against allowing citizens to decide whether to amend the charter through the democratic process.

Data retrieved from the 2010-2013 "3-Year Budget Presentation", the 2012 City of Dearborn Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Dearborn City Council 7-12-11 Special Meeting Minutes

The Dearborn Police Department receives approximately 43% of the city's general fund budget. This amount to a total of $41,835,663. An increase of over $6 million over the 2012 funding level.

Dearborn's property taxes remain high, and non-Police city services remain limited, with few outdoor pools reopening, the Snow Branch of the Library remaining shuttered, and the City's Health Department a distant memory.

Data retrieved from the FY 2020 Budget Workshop Adoption documents.

(Note: the percentages vary slightly between the visualization of the data generated by the city and the data visualization generated by Accountability for Dearborn. This may be attributable to rounding error of the "other"/"PMDS" field)