03-25-1975 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

APPROPRIATION ADJUSTMENT ELECTION MAILING COST approved Appropriation Adjustment election mailing cost (5-0). On the motion of Councilman Yamamoto, seconded by Council- man Ward, the Council (No. 105) of $6,000 for CA 65.3 Councilman Markel arrived at 7:45 P.M. PARAMEDIC & CRIME The following motion ABATEMENT PROGRAMS made by Councilman FUNDING REPORT Bricken and seconded by Councilman Ward was carried (5-1) with Councilman Markel dissenting: Instruct the City Attorney to initiate the necessary legal process to call a special election to place a proposition on the ballot to raise funds through an increased property tax to fund a portion of the necessary level for police and para- medic services, as identified by the Citizens Crime Preven- tion Commission and the Citizens Paramedic Advisory Committee in their reports. In the preliminary discussion Councilman Yamamoto expressed his desire that Council make some definite commitment now because of the time necessary to implement the programs. Councilman Ward stated that he thought the recommendations of the Crime Commission and the Paramedic Commission were excellent and done after thorough research, but that the funding should also be thoroughly analyzed before a decision is made. Councilman Bricken said that he did not feel that the paramedic and crime programs necessarily needed to be tied together; that there was sufficient support, from his contact with the citizens, for efforts to improve the crime situation; and that the question of raising the property tax should be put to the voters. Mayor Evans stated that it would be possible to hold the line on some City expenditures and decrease some programs to fund partially from the City budget; that the program the citizens want is one that will not only hold the crime rate at its present level, but reduce it; that he is not sure the program proposed can be expected to do that; that probably a program to decrease the crime rate would mean much more of an expenditure than is proposed; and that he is in favor of doing it right in the first place. Councilman Yamamoto said that the Criminal Justice System is not geared for prevention, and that real prevention is achieved by working with the kids in their own neighborhoods through clubs. Chief Davis told the Council that he had been with the City of Santa Ana for two years and one month; and that the Police Department had been operating at a 60% level and was reaping the problems of that condition. He stated that the detectives are at a frustration level; that they are working to the limits of overtime; that the addition of 88 additional per- sonnel to the Police Department is Plan 5 or the absolute lowest possible program that could conceivably make a dent in the crime rate, a bare bones program. City Manager Spragg said that there are only a couple of sources of revenue that are adequate to meet this level program; that the tax rate is a binding agreement, but there is the matter of timing and getting a ballot measure ready would take three months or more, and the first available election date would probably be November 4, 1975; that Santa Aha has one of the lowest tax rates; and that it has not been raised for two years. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 118 MARCH 25, 1975