Reinbeck council weighs cuts to county law enforcement contract

In an effort to get the city’s finances in line and rectify an almost $80,000 budget shortfall, the Reinbeck city council discussed cutting as much as 20 percent from its annual contract with Grundy County for law enforcement along with other line item reductions at its regular meeting on Monday evening.
           
Currently, Reinbeck spends the most of any community in the county for its law enforcement contract ($121,074 last year) and receives the most service (250 minimum monthly hours). Representatives for the county and the city met last Friday, but according to both sides, little progress was made on a tangible solution.           
           
Mayor Tim Johnson reported that he asked Sheriff Rick Penning if the city could put a cap on how much it spends annually for the next five to 10 years but was told that wasn’t an option. Because of salary obligations and general expenses, the cost of the contract has increased steadily each year.
           
“(The county) keeps jumping it $4,000 or $5,000 a year and hopes nobody says anything about it. Sooner or later, we can’t pay it anymore,” Councilman Jamie Eiffler said. 
 
Read more in this week's Grundy Register.