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Friday's Internet Edition, November 21, 2008.
Public safety measure draft complete
Initiative headed to council on July 15
By Rachael Ackerman
Herald Editor
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The Galt City Council will consider language for the proposed public safety initiative resolution and ordinance at their regular meeting on July 15. Although not publicly released, The Galt Herald has obtained a copy of the draft document that outlines the city’s proposed half-cent retail sales tax initiative to fund additional police officers and safety programs in the city.
Subject to change, the document is still in the draft stages. Council will hear the first reading of the proposed ordinance that would govern the use of retail sales tax collected under the initiative at the July 15 meeting, with a proposed adoption date of July 31 at a special meeting of council. Council is also expected to vote on the city resolution required to place the measure on the November 4 ballot. Both the ordinance and the resolution must be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of council.
The anti gang/anti drug public safety measure is being proposed to address what city officials say is a need for more police officers in Galt to develop anti gang and drug public safety plans, and to battle drug and gang crime on the streets of Galt.
After conducting a series of community meetings, the police department and city staff said there is “overwhelming” support for the measure. They are asking council to put the measure on the ballot to let the people decide if the city should add more officers through a retail sales tax increase.
On hold to the public at the moment, Galt Mayor Andrew Meredith said he does not agree with keeping the draft language from the public any longer than required. He said he is working to make sure the draft is released to the public prior to the July 15 meeting.
“I absolutely believe the public should have input on this measure as it is being created,” said Meredith. “We never want to look like we are trying to hide anything, or force anything through without the public’s input at each step of the way.”
Meredith said he was not certain about the hold up on getting the document released, but did say people needed to take caution as the current document is a draft, and therefore subject to change.
“I think people should see it at this stage so they can examine the language and express their opinions,” said Meredith. “They will ultimately be the ones deciding whether the measure passes or fails, and we want to address all of their concerns as early in the process as possible.”
Meredith went on to say he has seen public initiatives fail before when people feel like politicians are doing all of the decision-making, without proper public input on what they will ultimately pay.
“The July 15 meeting is your best opportunity to get questions answered and, in order to do that, people need to see the draft prior to that meeting,” said Meredith. “We want to make sure the ballot measure is written exactly the way the people want it written.”
In order to pass, the initiative must win by a two-thirds majority of the people on Election Day.
What is being proposed?
As written, the measure will call for a half-cent special transactions and use tax ordinance for police service in the city of Galt. The special tax will apply only to those things already subject to a retail sales tax. They do not include groceries or pharmacy items.
The state board of equalization will perform all of the functions related to the collection and administration of the special tax.
As currently written the ordinance states, “All proceeds of the special tax levied and imposed shall be accounted for and paid into a special fund or account designated for use by the city of Galt only for police services as set forth in the Police Services Expenditure Plan for the administration and expenditure of the tax revenue.”
The proposed language also states that the city council can “amend” that expenditure plan from “time to time” by a majority vote of council, “so long as the fund continues to be used for police services. However, the council may not amend the plan until, or unless, all of the new police personnel proposed in the current expenditure plan have been funded.
Police services, for purposes of the ordinance, are described as “all programs, functions and operations of the Galt Police Department, including hiring additional police personnel, recruitment and retention of police officers, enhancing anti gang and drug programs, improving police training, purchasing police equipment, enhancing graffiti abatement, and increasing police presence in Galt neighborhoods, parks and schools.”
The ordinance also states that no revenue collected by the passage of the measure “may be spent on general fund operating expenses in effect at the time the ordinance is adopted, or on projects that are not a part of the expenditure plan.”
If passed, a five-member citizens oversight, advisory only, committee must be established to monitor the expenditures of the revenue. Members of the committee will be appointed by the city council and selected through an open application process. Any resident of Galt will be eligible to apply.
What is the bottom line?
Estimates on the revenue that will be generated are included in the draft documents. Those estimates project the collection of revenue just over $1 million annually. The draft also includes a copy of a proposed six-year expenditure plan that shows the funding of three patrol officers, two dispatchers and a school resource officer, at a cost of $619,000, in the first year of collecting the use tax.
Year one, 2009, also includes over $60,000 in vehicle, equipment and maintenance improvements, and $30 for graffiti abatement.
Year two, 2010, adds three additional patrol, and one narcotics task force officer at a cost of over $1 million, plus nearly $100,000 in additional vehicle and equipment, and $30 in graffiti abatement.
All personnel costs include salary, benefits and all related expenses of creating a new position. According to the expenditure plan, any year when funds remain in excess of the annual expenditure, commitments will be rolled over to meet the following year’s expenditure commitments.
By the end of the six-year plan, if followed, Galt will have seven new sworn officers and two new civilian positions, over $200,000 will have been invested into vehicles, equipment and maintenance, and graffiti abatement will have been funded at the same $30,000 per year.
Unavailable online, thus far, Meredith said he encourages citizens who are interested in seeing the draft prior to the July 15 council meeting to call the city clerk’s office at (209) 333-7130 and request a copy.
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