More cops needed in Atwater, city leaders say. But will voters support a higher tax?
Atwater votes will be asked to replace 2013’s Measure H public safety tax with a new - and more expensive - tax that city leaders say could put as many as five new police officers on city streets.
If passed by two-thirds of Atwater voters, a 1% transactions-and-use tax would replace Measure H, the half-cent sales tax passed in 2013. Although Measure H is not scheduled to sunset until 2023, city leaders said the police and fire departments need a significant cash injection to address public safety needs.
“The cost of employment is outpacing revenue,” Mayor Paul Creighton said. “We’re being proactive for public safety.”
The Atwater City Council earlier this week approved putting the issue before voters on the March 2020 presidential primary ballot.
Councilmember Cindy Vierra said the city needs to hire more police officers and purchase new patrol vehicles.
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At its peak, the Atwater Police Department operated with 34 officers. Today, there are 24, including police Chief Michael Salvador. The chief said he believes the additional funding could add as many as five officers to the city.
Vierra said the tax would not include groceries or medication.
“The tax also allows for growth and takes pressure off of general funds, allowing other employees a little relief,” Vierra said.
City officials said the new tax would generate about $4 million in revenue each year, compared to the nearly $2 million Measure H brings in annually.
Councilmember Brian Raymond opposed the tax hike, saying 1% is too high for Atwater residents. Raymond said he preferred to stay with Measure H’s half-cent tax, but acknowledged the police department wouldn’t grow without more money.
After introducing the higher tax in early 2019, City Council voted unanimously to survey Atwater residents’ support for a higher public safety tax.
The survey conducted in late September included interviews with 301 Atwater residents. More than half of those surveyed said they believed crime in Atwater has increased and almost 70% supported beefing up police patrols. About 72% of those surveyed said they supported paying a new tax for public safety.
Creighton said the survey demonstrated Atwater residents support the proposal as long as the funds are used for local public safety exclusively.
Salvador said he hopes residents will vote for the new measure in 2020.
“The Atwater Police Department would be a very different place without that (Measure H) tax,” Salvador said. “But without more resources, a lot of things we cannot fix.”
Atwater recently was listed as the second most financially distressed city in California by the State Auditor’s Office. However, city leaders have said they believe recent policy changes are moving the city in a positive direction.
“I took over a department that has a lot of needs,” said Salvador, who has been police chief for nine months. “You can only squeeze a dollar so much.”
Despite the possibility of a higher tax in a traditionally conservative community, Salvador said he has not received push back from residents.
If passed, a five-person oversight committee would oversee the revenue and make recommendations to the council. Any Atwater resident is eligible to join the committee.
Vierra said that without Measure H, Atwater would lose its local law enforcement and a new public safety tax is essential to keeping the police and fire departments healthy.
If the measure does not pass in March 2020, officials said, the city council would try to get a revised version on the November 2020 ballot.
