Proposed budget would boost police, fire, neighborhood programs

Oceanside residents may see more police officers, firefighters and recreation center employees if the City Council adopts a proposed $135 million general fund budget for the next fiscal year.

Officials are projecting a nearly $5 million boost in revenues, driven largely by hotel and property taxes. Some of that money will be used to boost city services, including hiring five more police officers, six firefighter paramedics and one community resource assistant.

City Manager Michelle Lawrence presented her proposed budget during a public workshop Wednesday. It was well received by the City Council, but members of the panel cautioned that the city is still recovering from the Great Recession and needs to be careful how it spends money.

The Great Recession began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, according to the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research, but city leaders say its effects are still being felt.

“We have not completely recovered from the recession and I think that what we’re doing is stepping towards that direction in increments,” said Councilwoman Esther Sanchez.

Under the proposal, the city would spend $135.03 million in fiscal year 2016-17 out of a projected $136.8 million in revenue. The budget estimates a 3.8 percent increase in revenues compared to $131.8 million in current fiscal year, largely driven by $2.27 million rise in property taxes and $1.1 million in hotel taxes.

Lawrence said the additional money will be used on priorities the City Council has outlined in previous meetings, including public safety and neighborhood services. Beyond budget increases, such as rising salary and pension costs, the city would limit its spending to $1.2 million, Lawrence said.

“We have to look out because we have to be sure that we have enough revenues to pay for ongoing expenses,” Lawrence said.

Out of that $1.2 million, the city would spend about $640,000 to hire four police officers and one police sergeant. It would also help pay to staff one more ambulance, including six firefighter paramedics. The total cost of that ambulance would be $861,000 a year but that cost would be offset by an estimated $650,000 in revenue, Lawrence said.

The city recently laid off 10 temporary firefighters that were hired in 2013 with the help of a $2.75 million federal grant. Last year the city paid to keep them on, but city officials declined to do it again this year and instead decided to fund the ambulance and other positions.

After school and gang prevention programs programs would also be funded, including $75,000 for Project Reach in Libby Lake, $60,000 for Project Reach in Eastside and $60,000 for North County Lifeline in Crown Heights. Lawrence said those programs will be given one more year of funding while the nonprofits that run them look for grants to sustain them in the future.

“Inasmuch as I would like to be able to fund them with grants, I think that walking away from this would be a mistake,” Lawrence said. “If you give us one more year, we’ll try to find alternative funding.”

The budget would also boost the number of hours that roughly a half-dozen recreation center employees work from 35 hours to 40 hours a week.

The budget workshop was held at 2 p.m. and was sparsely attended by the public. Nadine Scott, a community activist, said she would like to see future budget meetings held later in the evening when more people are off work. She added that she would like the city to hire a full-time grant writer so that person can focus on bringing in more funds to the city.

Lawrence said the city had a grant writer on staff but has found that contracting them is more effective because most grants are very specific and require people who specialize in certain areas, such as water and utilities.

Councilman Jerry Kern said he would like to secure funding for recreation center workers and after school programs.

“These are very important projects and I don’t like the way we’re funding them,” Kern said. “I think we should go forward and fund them out of the general fund instead of every year scrambling around to figure out what we’re going to do.”

The council will vote on the final budget during its June 1 meeting.