Measure H, Measure I budgets: Council reviews public-safety allocations and rising vehicle and training costs

PORTERVILLE — City staff told the Porterville City Council on Wednesday that Measure H revenues are projected at roughly $5,400,000 with expenditures of about $5,600,000 (a roughly $200,000 shortfall in the preliminary figures), and Measure I revenues are projected at roughly $10,800,000 with expenditures near $11,300,000, leaving a modest projected deficit in that fund as well.

Measure H — the dedicated public-safety and library sales-tax measure — remains largely committed to public-safety staffing, with staff noting council policy that has historically allocated about 42.5% of Measure H revenue to the police department and 42.5% to the fire department, and the remaining up to 15% to library and literacy programs. Measure I, a broader local sales-tax measure, was described in staff presentations as more flexible in use; the council has used Measure I for public-safety staffing, street-maintenance and vehicle depreciation.

Police Chief Cassello told the council his department is shifting much of its vehicle depreciation and maintenance funding into Measure I to reduce the burden on the general fund. “I requested moving $400,000 in general fund monies to increase Measure I for vehicle depreciation, which will save the general fund monies,” he said. The police budget also includes overtime, training reimbursements and a range of grants (including anticipated COPS funding of about $187,000 and Office of Traffic Safety grants) that help offset personnel and overtime costs.

Fire Chief Donnie Moore said his department’s combined budget across general fund, Measure H and Measure I totals roughly $11,000,000, with about 85% of that going to salary and benefits. He told council the price of apparatus has risen notably and that he has adjusted vehicle-depreciation schedules in Measure I to reflect higher replacement costs.

Staff told council Measure H projected revenue of about $5.4 million is slightly behind proposed expenditures of about $5.6 million; staff said they would refine revenue projections with updated sales-tax data. For Measure I, staff projected revenues of about $10.8 million against roughly $11.3 million in proposed spending and flagged vehicle-depreciation and utilities (including new animal-control and PD facility costs) as principal growth areas in the fund.

Councilmembers asked about the breakdown of sworn positions funded by each measure. Staff and chiefs said Measure I funds 19 sworn positions and three professional staff for the police department in the proposed budget, while Measure H currently funds 10 sworn positions and five professional staff for police and approximately 12 fire positions funded by Measure H.

No final votes or reallocations were made at the study session; staff said they will return with refined projections and options for council direction as the budget process continues.