Twenty-one days into the fiscal year, the Hollister City Council
on Monday adopted a $35.2 million 2003-04 budget that includes
funds to hire two additional police officers, an issue that had
raised concerns among the Council.
Twenty-one days into the fiscal year, the Hollister City Council on Monday adopted a $35.2 million 2003-04 budget that includes funds to hire two additional police officers, an issue that had raised concerns among the Council.
Members voted 4-1 to approve the multi-million-dollar budget. Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia was the only dissenting member.
“I didn’t want to dip anymore into the General Fund,” she said of the additional expenditures.
The Council voted last week not to fill the vacancies within the police department.
Valdivia said she advocated waiting until October to hire the officers, which would save about $40,000.
Council members voting to approve the budget were Tony Bruscia, Brian Conroy, Tony LoBue and Robert Scattini.
“I think hiring at least two officers is a step in the right direction,” said LoBue, who initially pushed for hiring all four additional officers. “Now we can continue on with some of our very important programs that affect our youth in the community.”
Interim Police Chief Larry Todd has said the HPD – if the city hired no officers – would be forced to eliminate the crime prevention officer who teaches drug prevention classes, along with the school resources officer.
“I’m very pleased the Council made the move they did to allow us to keep in place some very significant programs in the community,” Todd said. “I know the officers that were here tonight, there were a great many of them, were pleased to hear it as well.”
The budget includes a projected deficit of about $730,000 – which will be drawn from the General Fund reserve and might increase throughout the year if unexpected expenses arise.
The additional officers approved Monday inflated the projected deficit by only about $40,000. That’s about the cost of hiring the two officers immediately, as opposed to waiting until October. While the officers will cost a combined $150,000, the city will lease-purchase its four new patrol cars to make up most of the difference.
The HPD had initially requested four additional officers because it is currently staffing only 30 of 37 positions, which includes three officers recovering from injuries who are on light duty.
The day after last week’s Council decision, the Hollister Peace Officers Association criticized the 3-2 vote. Leaving the vacancies unfilled would jeopardize the community’s safety and amplify already poor morale within the department, according to POA officials.
Andy Burgess spoke on behalf of the POA at Monday’s meeting and said the Council should maintain public safety as a top priority.
“We further urge the Council to initiate an analysis of every department to determine where cuts or freezes should be made,” Burgess said. “These cuts or freezes should be based on factual information and not on reaction that may well jeopardize the community and officers.”
The Council chambers had a standing-room-only crowd, mostly made up of police officers and their families.
The Council funded the two positions despite Hollister’s mounting financial problems. Since 1999, the city’s General Fund has decreased $15 million to $9.3 million. City officials have set a precedent to avoid dipping below the $4.5 million mark for the coming years.
Aside from the HPD amendments, the Council made no other significant changes to Shaddox’s budget proposal approved July 14.
With a deficit this year and even worse outlooks for the next couple years, officials left several other positions vacant, including the utility manager and city manager’s assistant.
Shaddox also expressed concern about future years and the possibility of laying off employees, including potentially the officers hired Monday.
“I don’t believe our financial picture is going to get any better next year,” he said. “In fact, it’s going to be more difficult.”
The budget did not include continuance of the $15 million Civic Center project, which the city might terminated altogether, Shaddox said.
Shaddox, after arriving on the job just 2-1/2 months ago, had the immediate task of reviewing city finances and attempting to ease the budget woes.
Some projects or services under consideration that survived the cuts include the city’s second fire station, the General Plan update, extensive pavement repairs and an animal shelter. Shaddox’s plan also includes shifting the Animal Control Department’s operations to the HPD’s jurisdiction. That will allow the city to fund a lease-purchase agreement on the $1.2 million shelter from the police impact fund.
Finance Director Barbara Mulholland said adopting the city budget by June 30 was not crucial because – as opposed to the state budget – there is no constitutional deadline for cities. Adjustments during the past 21 days included not buying capital equipment and not hiring new employees, she said.
“I’ll be very careful on our expenditures this year,” Shaddox said. “And I think I’ll start next year’s budget tomorrow as well.”
