Fairfield leaders warn of structural deficit and ask voters to consider Measure P update

Mayor Katherine Cat Moy and City Manager David Gasway used a joint State of the City presentation to warn residents that Fairfield faces a structural budget shortfall and to announce an exploratory effort to update Measure P, the local sales-tax measure the city says undergirds police, fire, streets and social services.

"We are currently exploring an update to Measure P to modernize our sales tax and we will be leaving that decision exactly where it belongs in the hands of our residents," Mayor Katherine Cat Moy said. She framed the choice as between maintaining current service levels and making painful cuts.

Gasway told the audience the city projects an adopted fiscal-year deficit of about $11 million after prior cuts. He said earlier savings reduced a roughly $20 million structural gap but rising uncontrollable costs — notably a 160% increase in general…