Plymouth Board denies request for 26th officer in 2026, pledges support for 2027

The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety voted Monday evening to deny Police Chief John Weir’s request to add a 26th officer to the force this year, citing budget uncertainties and pending contract negotiations with the school.

However, city officials expressed strong support for including the new position in the 2027 budget.

The decision follows a March 23 meeting where Chief Weir and HR Administrator Jen Klingerman detailed the costs of expanding the force—a move that hasn't happened in more than 25 years. Weir argued that the department's current 2026 budget could absorb the cost without requiring an additional appropriation.

The chief highlighted current staffing strains, noting that two officers serve as School Resource Officers (SROs) and are off road patrol for eight months of the year. Additionally, one officer is assigned to the Drug Task Force, and a couple of officers have been on extended medical leave.

Despite Weir's assurances, Clerk-Treasurer Lynn Gorski and a couple of council members expressed concerns about unforeseen costs. Following a special meeting between the city and police officials, City Attorney Jeff Houin summarized the financial hesitation. “It’s really impossible to say with staffing, with some officers being potentially out and the time it will take to replace them, it's difficult to say whether the current budget will be able to accommodate a 26th officer for the full year,” Houin said.

Board member Culp echoed those sentiments. “You guys need it, I get it, but I think being conscious and doing an extra appropriation without knowing where we stand, it’s hard for me to say yes,” Culp stated.

Culp pointed out that adding the officer would leave the police budget with a buffer of approximately $44,000, or 4%. The city typically strives to return 5% of its budget at the end of each year. He also noted that Fire Chief Steve Holm had a request for three additional full-time firefighters denied for the 2026 budget, setting a precedent of financial caution for the year.

Another major sticking point for the board was the pending renegotiation of the SRO contract with the Plymouth Community School Corporation, which expires at the end of this school year. Board members Culp and Dave Morrow both stated they wanted to see the outcome of those negotiations before committing to a new officer.

Chief Weir clarified that while the SROs are paid through the police department's budget, the reimbursement funds from the school corporation go directly into the city's General Fund Reserves—which fund 14 other departments—rather than returning to the police department. A meeting with Ward Byers, Director of School Security, is scheduled for next week to discuss the contract.

Mayor Robert Listenberger expressed his support for adding a 26th officer but revealed a recent development that impacted the financial math. An officer who had previously submitted his resignation to move to Florida recently rescinded it. The mayor explained that the anticipated one-to-two-month lag in replacing that departing officer would have generated salary savings to help cover the cost of the new 26th officer.

With that savings gone, Mayor Listenberger said he would instead advocate for the 26th officer to be officially included in the 2027 budget.

Board member Don Ecker suggested that Chief Weir could begin the hiring process in the fourth quarter of 2026, allowing the new officer to officially start in January 2027.

Ecker subsequently made a motion to deny the request for the 2026 budget but to formally include the 26th officer in the 2027 budget. The Board of Public Works and Safety approved the motion with a unanimous 4-0 vote.