ODEM, Texas — The Odem City Council is set to approve its budget Tuesday, with deep cuts to the city's police department.
Following a budget workshop on Saturday, Odem Mayor David Maldonado said the council had reached a consensus on these cuts. Proposed cuts include reducing the Odem Police Department to one paid position, that of the police chief, which will reduce the department's annual budget by $350,000.
Currently, the department has four peace officers, two clerical staff and a police chief.
The department's new budget will be set at $150,000, which will cover the chief's salary and any overhead, Maldonado said.
He said public safety is a priority, and that the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office would respond to calls.
"The sheriff feels like safety and security of our community is important to him," Maldonado said. "We're going to be in good hands. They've done a great job in the past, they've continued to do a great job."
Last week San Patricio County Sheriff Oscar Rivera said it was the duty of the office to respond to calls in Odem and his office would do so.
As 6 Investigates has previously reported, expenses have outpaced revenue, nearly causing the city to go broke.
For years the city council has approved deficit budgets, tapping into reserves to make up the difference.
Violations levied by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs to the wastewater plant, repairs that are not yet complete.
Maldonado was elected earlier this year and began the task of securing the city's financial stability. He told 6 Investigates that the proposed budget includes rebuilding the city's reserve fund, which has been depleted over the last several years.
The city will also cross-train employees so that it can consolidate positions, Maldonado said.
Those city employees will see a four percent pay increase under the proposed budget, an effort to reassure the staff that their jobs are secure, he said.
