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Turlock Budget 'a Real Victory': City Officials Hoping to Add Firefighters, Police, Repair Roads

Posted on: Saturday, 3 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

By Michael R. Shea, The Modesto Bee, Calif.

Jun. 3--TURLOCK -- With more than $4 million in increased revenue, city officials plan to hire 10more police officers and six more firefighters in the 20062007 fiscal year.

The proposed budget, released earlier this week, shows increased sales and property tax money filling city coffers, which officials plan to commit to public safety positions.

City spending during the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, will run $110 million, down $32million from last year's $142million plan. Officials attributed the cut to several completed water and sewer improvement projects.

"We had more capital projects last year and because those are wrapped, the cost has gone away," City Manager Tim Kerr said.

The projected $27 million general fund -- the pool of money that runs most city services -- is up $3 million over this year's plan. General fund revenues, that is, money collected for city operations primarily through sales and property taxes, are expected to climb more than $4million from $23 million in the 2005-2006 fiscal year to $27million in 2006-2007.

With the increased money, the city plans to hire the new police officers at a cost of $780,000 and six new firefighters for $460,000 in salaries and benefits. Officials hope to hire six more firefighters during mid-2007, and plans to have new three-man engine companies full time at each of the city's four fire stations, but that money has yet to be set aside.

Vice Mayor John Lazar said the new officers are the highlight of the coming year's spending plan.

"This is more or less a status quo budget with some prospective opportunities to hire some new public safety officers," he said.

Lazar said transportation is the next priority after the police and fire departments reach better staffing levels.

"If you've driven around here, you've probably seen a lot of need in this area (road-wise)," Lazar said. "We're fortunate to have the northwest Monte Vista area to help our tax base, but there's still room for (road) improvement."

Several projects are funded

Major projects funded in the coming fiscal year include the reconstruction of Fire Station No.1 at $3.5 million, $1.6 million for improved traffic signals at Tuolumne Road and Golden State Boulevard, $850,000 for a neighborhood park in the northeast area and $300,000 for median improvements and landscaping along Golden State Boulevard.

The spending plan cites several "works in progress" that most likely will need to be addressed and funded in the 2007 fiscal year: the possible homeless shelter on B Street, the construction of a new Highway 99 interchange south of Lander Avenue, and the Carnegie Center and westside economic development projects.

The budget also sets aside $147,000 for the vacant assistant citymanagerpositionand $126,000 for the vacant finance officer position.

The city also has about $3 million in a reserve account or "rainy day money," as Mayor Curt Andre called it.

The budget is a real victory because it reflects an improvment in the city's economic situation, "but remains fiscally conservative," he said. "It's the first optimistic budget I've seen in years."

The city council will vote on the first reading of the spending plan at its July 13 meeting.

Staff writer Michael R. Shea can be reached at 667-1227 or mshea@modbee.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Modesto Bee, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Modesto Bee

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