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Council accepts Public Safety and Prevention Tax annual report; funds noted for firefighters, police, recreation and prevention programs
Summary
The council unanimously accepted the FY2023–24 Public Safety and Prevention Tax (PSAP) annual report covering fire, police, recreation and the Violence Prevention Partnership. The report details revenue/expenditure figures, personnel funded by the tax, equipment purchases and community programs supported by PSAP funds.
The Santa Rosa City Council unanimously accepted the fiscal year 2023–24 Public Safety and Prevention Tax (PSAP) annual report Wednesday after presentations by Fire, Police, Recreation & Parks and the Violence Prevention Partnership.
Scott Westrop, Santa Rosa Fire Chief, presented the fire department's portion, saying PSAP supported personnel, facilities and equipment. Chief Westrop and finance analyst Sarah Robert reported a beginning PSAP fund balance of $4.1 million, revenues of $4.6 million, $176,000 in interest and $4.3 million in expenditures for FY2023–24, with an $876,000 encumbrance for an engine ordered in October 2022. Westrop said PSAP paid for a complement of paramedic staffing that equals roughly an engine company in day‑to‑day operations and helped fund multiple engine purchases, a Type‑3 wildland engine, command vehicles, radios and a swift‑water rescue trailer.
Police Chief John Cregan and Administrative Services Officer Pam Lawrence presented the police portion and said PSAP funded 17 full‑time positions (12 sworn and five civilian), three line supervisors in communications, equipment such as Axon in‑car cameras and temporary Rosen substation leasing, and $2.1 million of PSAP was used to purchase the Rosen library building for a permanent community‑facing substation. Their presentation noted year‑to‑date reductions in shootings and homicides and an increase in seized illegal firearms and ghost guns.
Jeff Tibbetts of Recreation & Parks and Violence Prevention Partnership manager Danielle Gardugno presented community and prevention efforts. Tibbetts said Choice Grant funds were a large part of the department’s PSAP spending; staff said the Choice Cycle 11 programs served 5,197 individuals in year two and logged tens of thousands of service hours. Gardugno described school‑based safe‑campus intervention activations, youth empowerment groups and prevention outreach; staff also noted the new Clean Slate tattoo‑removal program funded at $100,000 from PSAP with an additional $25,000 AB114 grant from the sheriff's office to serve people outside Santa Rosa.
Councilmember McDonald, who chaired the Violence Prevention Partnership in the prior two years, praised the alignment of PSAP, Choice grants and VPP strategy and asked staff to provide timeline details for new programs such as the Clean Slate tattoo removal; staff said intake and operations have begun and contracts with two local clinics are in place. The council voted to accept the annual report unanimously.
