Measure P committee approves carryover for iHeart and backs extra funds after debate

The Measure P Oversight Committee on May 4 recommended that the Vallejo City Council receive a report on the iHeart civilian crisis-response program and approved both a carryover of unspent Measure P money and supplemental funding for the program.

Committee members unanimously approved carrying over $550,000 in unspent iHeart funds into fiscal year 2026–27. Later, after extended discussion about sustainability, grant availability and staffing needs, the committee narrowly voted 4–1 to recommend the city authorize up to $275,000 in additional Measure P funding to add a program lead position and expand the program’s operations.

The iHeart presenters described the program as a non-law-enforcement, civilian response team intended to de-escalate behavioral health and welfare-check calls, link people to services and reduce unnecessary law-enforcement involvement. The program manager said iHeart’s model emphasizes relationship-building, trauma-informed care and follow-up case management; staff reported roughly 1,696 dispatches as of the morning of the meeting and said the program had linked more than 500 individuals and families to direct services over the past 10 months.

Deputy Chief Bob Knight summarized the department’s request: the department had used grant funds to seed and expand iHeart and is asking to carry forward leftover Measure P money, and to add either $136,000 (to maintain the current model) or up to $275,000 (to add a program lead) for the next fiscal year. Police administration described two grant sources that had supported iHeart: a state 'CIT' (or similar) grant of $831,003.77 and a U.S. Department of Justice 'Connect and Protect' grant of about $139,000; staff said one of those grant awards had been expended and another will carry into fiscal year 2026–27.

Supporters on the committee praised the program’s community impact and worker safety benefits; one commissioner said carryover aligned with previous committee guidance that leftover funds would be retained. A dissenting commissioner opposed the additional $275,000 request, saying Measure P should not be used to sustain programs that grants and general fund should support.

The committee’s recommendation now goes to the Vallejo City Council, which has final authority to allocate Measure P funds.

What’s next: the committee carried the recommendation forward to council; council action will determine whether the additional $275,000 is authorized.