GOODHUE, Minn. — On Monday night, a small Minnesota town was racing against the clock.
Come Aug. 24, Goodhue, Minnesota will be without a police force after all seven of its officers, including the chief, resigned.
The city council called a special meeting Monday night and its members were visibly upset as they tried to figure out their next move. Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck said she was "blindsided" by the resignations and plans to meet with the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday to figure out coverage plans for the short term.
“I was floored,” said local business owner Lydia Strusz. “I just thought one; I didn’t realize all of them.”
The council was set to discuss salaries for its officers, as it has said they quit over concerns about pay.
“We knew we were on the low side and so we were trying very, very hard to bring those numbers up,” said Anderson Buck.
The mayor says the city gave its officers a 5% pay increase and the chief a $13,000 raise at the beginning of the year, as the council now works to restructure its budget to compete with bigger cities. The Office of the State Auditor shows Goodhue had a public safety budget of about $375,000 in 2022.
“We are all devastated by this,” said Anderson Buck. “We’re trying to muddle through this and do the best we can and provide service for our community.”
About 1,200 people live in Goodhue and the council says it’s considering contracting with the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office for now, as its own officers will work through next week. The council was adamant it wants to eventually rebuild its force — and its future.
“I think we could do OK with three (officers) and feel protected,” said resident Roxanne Fischer. “Our town is pretty quiet.”
“This is a great place to live and to work and I think we’ll get them back here. It’s just going to take some time and rebuilding,” said Anderson Buck, who acknowledged there are more than 200 openings for police officers across the state.
The Goodhue chief is reportedly taking another policing job in Lake City, but he wouldn’t answer KARE 11’s questions when a reporter reached him at his home.
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