Politics & Government

City Finalizes Service Restorations

Newark's City Council votes to amend its biennial budget to account for services planned for restoration through its utility tax.

The City of Newark will soon see a variety of programs and services restored as a result of monies collected from its voter-approved utility tax.

Among those restorations are the re-opening of the city's senior center near Ash Street Park, more public safety officers and the reinstatement of school crossing guards.

The return of such programs is a result of a budget amendment approved by city council members at the last council meeting on May 26.

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Approximately $2.1 million worth of services, programs and fund restorations are accounted for within the budget amendment. The extra revenue stems from the collection of monies from Measure U, a 3.5 percent utility users tax.

As of May 26, a total of $199,143 had been collected through the utility tax, according to Susie Woodstock, administrative services director.

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City Manager John Becker has said that the tax is expected to generate $192,000 each month and $2.3 million each year for the duration of five years.

The approved budget amendment plans for the allocation of funds as follows:

Department

Positions/Details

Annual Cost

Public Safety

Includes a school resource officer, police detective position and a part-time vehicle abatement aide and a part-time police service aide

$450,000

Landscape-Parks and Street Maintenance

Includes two general labor positions in the landscape-parks division, a part-time street maintenance position and an increase of funding for park watering, planting and turf repair

$237,000

Senior Center and Recreation Services

The re-opening of the Senior Center in July, which will include two full-time staff positions as well as a restoration of funds for the Ash Street Summer Program.

$334,000

Other Services

Includes the restoration of seven crossing guards at the cost of $64,000, a part-time community preservation officer and funds for a design consultant for the Lakeshore Park Seawall Project, a part-time accountant, an increase in administrative support services and funds to plan for utility and fuel cost increases

$371,000

Equipment Replacement

An investment into equipment replacement funds, which currently totals $400,000 annually.

$330,000

Fire Apparatus Replacement

An investment to build up the city's fire equipment replacement fund. The city owns three fire engines and one ladder/pumper fire truck. The cost to replace these vehicles ranges between $500,000 and $1 million.

$100,000

Capital Improvement Fund

An investment. The city has approximately $110 million in unfunded projects identified in its capital improvement plan, and no capital funds have been set aside for the past six years.

$100,000

Fiscal Uncertainty Fund

An investment. Since 2008, the city has used $5 million from this fund. The investment aims to build the fund up to $1.25 million in five years.

$250,000

While the tax brings additional revenue to the city, officials and council members said they are proceeding with vigilant planning.

“The utility tax is temporary. It’s not enough to restore all the cuts from the last few years,” Woodstock said.

The recommendations were similar to those that the council heard during a .

The differences are the confirmation of allocating funds for school crossing guards, shifting the idea of a Drug Abuse Resistance Education program to an Adopt-A-School program and the effort to reinstate the city’s Neighborhood Watch programs through the assistance of a police assistant at a cost of $65,000 each year. 

Mayor David Smith expressed content with the recommendations during the May 26 meeting.

“I think it’s concise and makes sense for today and where we are going in the future,” Smith said.

Since 2008, the city has made approximately $8 million in cuts by eliminating and decreasing staffing levels and closing down its senior center and community center (with the exception of weekend rentals).

Newark has also contracted out its fire services to Alameda County Fire Department, a move that was being considered before the recession hit the city. That move is expected to save the city between $500,000 and $600,000 annually.


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