PLEASANTON — Pleasanton residents ought to quickly anticipate to really feel the consequences of town’s multi-million greenback cuts just lately solidified by the Metropolis Council within the face of a extreme finances deficit.
Council final week permitted an inventory of reductions which included reducing again library hours and shutting the ability on Sundays, eliminating 4 metropolis parks upkeep jobs and different positions, resembling metropolis crossing guards. In complete, the council permitted over $12 million in cuts over the following two years, which falls considerably in need of town’s earlier goal of $10 million the primary 12 months and $12 million the next 12 months.
Officers anticipate an annual deficit of $13 million nevertheless it might get as unhealthy as $22 million a 12 months in a recession. The council determined in complete to chop $6.2 million by way of subsequent 12 months and $6.6 million the next 12 months. However officers prevented closing town’s beloved Dolores Bengston Aquatic Middle or Fireplace Station 1, after dozens of residents pleaded with town to not at finances hearings final Tuesday and Thursday.
The council will finalize the finances this summer time, with potential amendments and extra cuts.
Mayor Jack Balch, in an interview, mentioned he’s “optimistic on Pleasanton’s future.” Earlier than he gained his council spot in November, he beforehand mentioned he wished to keep away from all of the proposed cuts totally, stating he didn’t consider the monetary forecast of town was as dire an image as officers had painted. As an area enterprise proprietor and accountant by commerce, he’s since had a change of coronary heart.
“If we want to avoid all of it, I don’t think that’s possible,” Balch mentioned. “As a business leader, I am more concerned that a recession may occur than I had been earlier in the year. And I think it’s prudent to be considering that possibility in our budgeting process.”
The April 10 assembly was a continuation of a marathon seven-hour April 8 finances assembly that stretched to just about midnight. Councilwoman Julie Testa known as the finances discussions “tragic” after the failure of a half-cent gross sales tax poll measure in November that officers have been betting would stop many of those cuts.
“I truly wish we weren’t in this situation,” Testa mentioned. “And that is why I supported putting the tax measure on the ballot, because if it had passed we would have the breathing room right now to not be cutting programs that are really important to our community.”
Councilman Craig Eicher, a former Pleasanton interim police chief, protested reducing two campus cops from metropolis funding and as a substitute requested town to discover a manner for the college district to assist pay for campus police. Balch, Vice Mayor Jeff Nibert and Councilman Matt Gaidos agreed that the district ought to assist bear the prices of campus police.
As Eicher trumpeted assist for foregoing main cuts to the police division, the vice mayor expressed his worries for the monetary well being of town.
“Just in general, I’m feeling somewhat dismayed that we aren’t achieving the reductions that we need to achieve for the benefit of the city,” Nibert advised council Thursday.
Nibert later within the assembly advised going again to the voters for a particular election to ask for extra revenues. He mentioned it could be “wise” to ask the voters once more to approve both a brand new poll measure or a bond to pay for giant ticket objects such because the projected multi-million greenback pool renovation.
“I can almost guarantee that without significant new revenue approval by the voters, what we do now will not be the last of the cuts,” Nibert mentioned. “We are relying on quite a bit of one-time money in this current budget that we’re talking about that will not be there next time.”
