Hollister
– Measure R, a ballot initiative that would raise the citywide
sales tax by 1 percent, is trailing by about 250 votes, so the city
is getting ready for some big service cuts.
Hollister – Measure R, a ballot initiative that would raise the citywide sales tax by 1 percent, is trailing by about 250 votes, so the city is getting ready for some big service cuts.
According to County Registrar John Hodges, the ballots of some Hollister voters remain to be counted, but the mood seemed glum at Monday’s City Council meeting. Councilman Brad Pike said he is disappointed with the results. He added that many voters didn’t realize how serious the cuts are going to be.
“I want the public to understand and realize what has just happened to Hollister,” Pike said. “We’re going to be held responsible to make some real hard decisions again.”
Councilwoman Monica Johnson offered a different take on the measure’s failure.
“Some folks do understand it,” she said, adding that a number of her constituents told her that they knew services would be cut, but they didn’t want to pay for the government’s mistakes.
Hollister is facing a $2.7 million deficit. According to the city’s estimate, Measure R would have generated about $4 million per year.
Before the election on Nov. 7, City Manager Clint Quilter asked the city’s staff to identify potential cuts so they could shrink the budget by 20 percent overall. The deficit is likely to take its biggest bite out of police and animal control, but it will affect all city departments.
The proposed service cuts include reduced hours at city hall, elimination of gang prevention and intervention, elimination of property crime investigation, elimination of drug crime investigation, reduction of police department office hours to 25 hours per week, elimination of spay/neuter programs, closure of all park restrooms, elimination of pothole repair and elimination of the recreation department.
Opponents of the measure have said they don’t trust the city to be fiscally responsible. They have also accused pro-Measure R campaigners of using potential service cuts as a “scare tactic.”
Johnson acknowledged that previous city governments may not have spent money wisely.
“But I think we fixed it,” she said. “We didn’t have scare tactics and that’s the reality.”
Quilter said the staff plans to formally present alternatives and recommendations to the Council at its Dec. 4 meeting. There will be a workshop exploring the cuts the following week, and he expects the Council to take action on Dec. 18.
During Monday’s meeting, some Council members offered their suggestions for reducing the budget. Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia suggested that the city institute a hiring freeze, while Johnson said they should consider closing city hall one day a week.
Mayor Robert Scattini concluded, “It looks pretty bleak.”
After the meeting, the Free Lance asked Quilter about the viability of councilmembers’ suggestions. Regarding a hiring freeze, Quilter said the city hasn’t hired any employees paid through the general fund for several months, and added that he is wary of instituting an across-the-board freeze.
“If the police chief leaves and we have a hiring freeze, should we operate without a police chief?” Quilter said.
He added, “As for closing down one day a week, yeah, that’s certainly a possibility.”
Quilter has said that the city will eliminate its deficit in five years, and that many services should resume as the deficit disappears.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at (831) 637-5566 ext. 330 or
ah*@fr***********.com
.
