Modesto OKs budget that includes 22 more police officers

The Modesto City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a new budget that includes Mayor Ted Brandvold’s plan to hire as many as 22 police officers, which marks the first significant increase in police staffing in several years.

The $361 million operating budget is for the city’s 2016-17 fiscal year, which starts July 1.

Brandvold – who took office in late February after winning a mayoral runoff election – has said he is honoring a campaign promise to increase police staffing. His plan will increase the number of officers allocated in the 2016-17 budget from 218 to 240. The last time the Police Department was allocated at least 240 officers was in the 2010-11 budget, when the allocation was 251.

Police Chief Galen Carroll has said it could take six months to hire the additional officers. He also has said his preference is to hire 16 officers, three sergeants and four community service officers. Brandvold has said he would defer to Carroll on the details. City officials have said Carroll’s preference would cost about the same as 22 officers.

The city estimates it will cost $11.7 million over four years for the 22 officers. That includes a one-time cost of $1 million for training and equipment. Modesto has applied for a $1.55 million federal COPS grant that would offset the cost if the city receives it.

Modesto expects to pay for the new officers through budget cuts – such as reducing what it spends on consultants and professional services and not filling several vacant positions – and anticipated new revenues in the 2016-17 budget. Brandvold also has said the city could use budget reserves if necessary. The money for the officers will come from the nearly $117 million general fund, which primarily pays for public safety and makes up roughly a third of the city’s operating budget.

The council voted 7-0 on Tuesday to approve the budget and the mayor’s proposal.

But it was at times a rocky process to reach that unanimous vote. For instance, when the council first discussed Brandvold’s proposal at its June 7 meeting, Council members Bill Zoslocki, Jenny Kenoyer and Doug Ridenour raised questions about whether the proposal was financially self-sustaining. The council held a workshop last week to address those concerns.

For instance, Kenoyer had doubts about whether all of the funding would come in to hire more officers, and asked if Modesto was cutting too deeply from its other departments. Ridenour said the city also needs to address its other significant needs.

Zoslocki said he appreciated their comments but said he had confidence in the council and city officials to monitor the budget and make adjustments if the budget numbers do not come in as expected. “If it looks like hiring is getting ahead of the funding,” he said, “... I think we as a council can put a pause on the spending. ... That’s prudent.”

No council member said Modesto does not need more officers. The questions focused on how to pay for them.

Brandvold developed his proposal with the help of his 100-day budget review committee, which the council approved in March. The committee has been meeting since April and is close to wrapping up its work.

This story was originally published June 21, 2016 at 9:07 PM with the headline "Modesto OKs budget that includes 22 more police officers."