Folks will argue about how services should be delivered.  Three members of our community intend to put the following language on the ballot (Emphasis added to several points), with no idea how to pay for it:

PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SAFETY. The residents of San Carlos declare that City Government’s top priority is to provide the best level of public safety service possible. To better achieve such level of service, upon passage of this measure and thereafter, the City of San Carlos shall maintain police staffing, at a minimum, consistent with previously maintained levels.

“Police Officer” shall be defined as full-time sworn police positions and shall not include temporary or contract employees.

The San Carlos Police Department’s budgeted positions shall not fall below the level it was budgeted for in fiscal year 2001-2002, nor shall the City contract out with any entity, public or private, for general police services, without prior voter approval. If prior to passage of this measure, the City contracts out general police services, upon passage of this measure the City’s Police Department shall be reinstated and any police employees that were laid off due to contracting out services shall be immediately reinstated with back pay and benefits. Nothing in this section shall preclude the City from contracting for specialized police services with other law enforcement agencies or entering into mutual aid agreements with other law enforcement agencies. The City shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that the budgeted positions describe above are filled at all times by qualified full-time police officers.

In order to ensure that the City does not hire sub-standard police officers to simply meet the required staffing threshold, the full-time police officers employed by the City shall be compensated in salary and benefits, at a minimum, at the average of the local police market. To determine the “average.” a survey of salary and benefits of all other cities in San Mateo County that have a municipal police department shall be used unless another list of cities is agreed upon by the City and San Carlos Police Officers Association. The survey and any resulting compensation adjustments shall be done annually in August of each year.

1. Best Levels: How do “they” want “us” to pay for it? They have no idea. Everyone likely wants to drive a Rolls Royce or a Ferrari.  After all, those are the “best.”  By the same token, most folks don’t drive the cheapest thing like a used Yugo.  Most of us get a vehicle which fits our needs and our budget.  The same common sense needs to apply to services our city offers.

Some have pushed the notion of a military lock-down of the city with cameras everywhere, more surveillance and a loss of privacy and liberty.  Others would have you believe the council would turn public safety over to a former security guard from the mall.  Neither of these are the solution for San Carlos.

But the folks pushing this initiative want the best, no matter the cost and whatever the expense to other mandates and programs.

2. Staffing Levels: How do “they” want “us” to pay for it? They have no idea.The effects of adding officers, adding dispatch and adding positions would (with a back-of-the-envelope) take the City’s General Fund Budget Deficit from $3.5 Million per year to $5.5 to $6.5 Million per year.  How do you pay for this?  According to one of the people pushing this initiative:

Castle acknowledged the initiative has no funding for the increased spending on staff and salaries. (cite)

So while those pushing the ballot text acknowledge this will cost more money, how do “they” want “us” to pay for it?  They have no idea.   Point of history:  San Carlos has voted on four revenue measures to pay for services – and rejected all four.  OK – so they want a Rolls Royce, they have no idea how to pay for it, but that is not a problem?  Seriously, the intent is to push staffing to the heights of the Dotcom boom?

3. “Average” Salary & Benefits: How do “they” want “us” to pay for it? They have no idea. The “average” of the market the measure’s annual salary survey of all Police Departments means will get a significant raise now and a raise every year.  Two tier benefits?  Nope.  San Carlos is one of the few towns in the state where this exists – the “average” is paying much more.  Ignore the work which has been done to reign in a number of costs for benefits – this measure trashes that work.

One can appreciate folks are passionate about the issues.  I am fighting to keep San Carlos out of  Chapter 11.  There are those pushing this ballot text who want to continue to live beyond their means.  The folks of San Carlos are smarter than that…