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Committee gets first look at $17M price tag for 42‑hour transition and options to fund it
Summary
Staff outlined multi‑option fiscal models showing the 42‑hour/3‑person plan could cost roughly $17M over 10 years (about a 4.63¢ tax‑rate equivalent) and that an EMS fee increase (~$15) or voter tax measure were possible funding options.
Staff presented five models and their 10‑year cost estimates and explained how each option would translate to a tax‑rate equivalent or a household impact. For the 42‑hour/3‑person staffing plan staff reported roughly $17M over 10 years and said that equated to about a 4.63¢ tax‑rate increase — which staff translated to roughly $123 per homeowner at the present taxable value example.
Committee members asked whether a higher EMS fee could avoid a tax vote; staff said the fee increase likely would not require voter approval by law but would add political complications and still would not fully cover long‑term costs. As staff put it when discussing household impacts: "So that's about a $123 today of additional cost to a homeowner." The committee requested more granular homeowner impact scenarios and a comparison of phased funding versus a single ballot measure.
Why it matters: the financial plan determines whether the shift and staffing changes are feasible without disrupting other city services; committee members flagged repeated voter asks and state rollback rules as risks to long‑term sustainability.
