LATHROP – The Lathrop City Council Tuesday night approved the allocation of up to $50,000 to finance a study aimed at evaluating the cost effectiveness of alternative police-service options and then weigh those against the city’s contract with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.
Mayor Kristy Sayles stood her ground and cast the lone dissenting vote saying, “I highly support the Lathrop Police Services… especially Chief (Dolores) Delgado.”
But her impassioned statements in defense of keeping the current status quo with the Sheriff’s deputies providing Lathrop’s police services was outgunned by the other four council members with the backing of several residents who believed that the money being spent for a study is a sound investment in the long run.
Lifelong Lathrop resident and business owner Connie Lum Perez said she agreed with Councilman Christopher Mateo that $50,000 is only one percent of the nearly $5 million – $4,901,336 to be exact – which is the current 2009-10 budget for police services and which accounts for 33 percent of the city’s total operating budget.
”This is just one percent of our $5 million police budget – $50,000 to save umpteen dollars down the road. It’s just a study, but the right study. This is the best time to do it. That’s just common sense,” Perez said.
Former two-time Lathrop mayor and Planning Commission chairman Bennie Gatto agreed that the $50,000 being proposed for the study is just “a drop in the bucket” when viewed in the context of the approved police budget this current fiscal year.
“It doesn’t hurt anything to do a study,” he said.
“We just want to look if we can get a better deal,” Vice Mayor Martha Salcedo said.
“I don’t think anybody is saying that the quality of service (from the Sheriff’s deputies) is bad,” qualified Rosalinda Valencia.
“It’s a financial problem because we don’t have the money to keep paying $4 million. We want to have the best officers, that’s true. But we want to make sure we got the best officers,” she said.
Lathrop entrepreneur J. “Chaka” Santos even went as far as volunteering to donate $5,000 to the study.
“Fifty thousand dollars is nothing for a study,” he said.
The mayor and Sims had their own supporters of doing away with the study and saving the money.
“I can’t honestly say that we should be spending $50,000. Money is tight right now. When things get better, maybe we can do this,” said longtime resident Arnita Montiel.
“It’s a waste of taxpayer’s money,” agreed one-time council candidate Joey Ermitanio.
Lathrop’s deputies are among the best in the county, and “we’re very lucky to have those offices here,” the mayor said.
Sayles piggybacked her comments on the impassioned statements made by former Lathrop-Manteca Fire Chief Jerry Sims who said the Sheriff’s deputies, with their extensive and quality training and experience, give Lathrop the best bang for their buck.
“You got the best financial deal anywhere” for the quality police services Lathrop is getting from the Sheriff’s Office, Sims said.
“There’s a difference between a city cop and a deputy Sheriff. These guys are a cut above everybody else. These people are trained. Don’t blow $50,000 for a stupid survey,” he told the council.
The mayor agreed with everything that Sims said, adding, “Lathrop Police Services has done an outstanding, fantastic job in the community.”
City Manager Cary Keaten said the study will have a dual purpose: to meet the need to plan for the city’s future and, to prepare for the next round of negotiations with the Sheriff’s Office in the spring. The current contract expires in June of 2010.
“It’ll be very useful to know what our options are,” Keaten said adding, the results of the study “may help us in negotiating that contract.”
Keeping the status quo with the Sheriff’s Office, creating a city police department, and finding a neighboring city such as Tracy or Manteca that would be willing to share police services are the three alternatives that the study will focus on.
While the staff suggested $50,000 for the study, the resolution approved by the council calls for an amount “up to $50,000.”
Mayor Kristy Sayles stood her ground and cast the lone dissenting vote saying, “I highly support the Lathrop Police Services… especially Chief (Dolores) Delgado.”
But her impassioned statements in defense of keeping the current status quo with the Sheriff’s deputies providing Lathrop’s police services was outgunned by the other four council members with the backing of several residents who believed that the money being spent for a study is a sound investment in the long run.
Lifelong Lathrop resident and business owner Connie Lum Perez said she agreed with Councilman Christopher Mateo that $50,000 is only one percent of the nearly $5 million – $4,901,336 to be exact – which is the current 2009-10 budget for police services and which accounts for 33 percent of the city’s total operating budget.
”This is just one percent of our $5 million police budget – $50,000 to save umpteen dollars down the road. It’s just a study, but the right study. This is the best time to do it. That’s just common sense,” Perez said.
Former two-time Lathrop mayor and Planning Commission chairman Bennie Gatto agreed that the $50,000 being proposed for the study is just “a drop in the bucket” when viewed in the context of the approved police budget this current fiscal year.
“It doesn’t hurt anything to do a study,” he said.
“We just want to look if we can get a better deal,” Vice Mayor Martha Salcedo said.
“I don’t think anybody is saying that the quality of service (from the Sheriff’s deputies) is bad,” qualified Rosalinda Valencia.
“It’s a financial problem because we don’t have the money to keep paying $4 million. We want to have the best officers, that’s true. But we want to make sure we got the best officers,” she said.
Lathrop entrepreneur J. “Chaka” Santos even went as far as volunteering to donate $5,000 to the study.
“Fifty thousand dollars is nothing for a study,” he said.
The mayor and Sims had their own supporters of doing away with the study and saving the money.
“I can’t honestly say that we should be spending $50,000. Money is tight right now. When things get better, maybe we can do this,” said longtime resident Arnita Montiel.
“It’s a waste of taxpayer’s money,” agreed one-time council candidate Joey Ermitanio.
Lathrop’s deputies are among the best in the county, and “we’re very lucky to have those offices here,” the mayor said.
Sayles piggybacked her comments on the impassioned statements made by former Lathrop-Manteca Fire Chief Jerry Sims who said the Sheriff’s deputies, with their extensive and quality training and experience, give Lathrop the best bang for their buck.
“You got the best financial deal anywhere” for the quality police services Lathrop is getting from the Sheriff’s Office, Sims said.
“There’s a difference between a city cop and a deputy Sheriff. These guys are a cut above everybody else. These people are trained. Don’t blow $50,000 for a stupid survey,” he told the council.
The mayor agreed with everything that Sims said, adding, “Lathrop Police Services has done an outstanding, fantastic job in the community.”
City Manager Cary Keaten said the study will have a dual purpose: to meet the need to plan for the city’s future and, to prepare for the next round of negotiations with the Sheriff’s Office in the spring. The current contract expires in June of 2010.
“It’ll be very useful to know what our options are,” Keaten said adding, the results of the study “may help us in negotiating that contract.”
Keeping the status quo with the Sheriff’s Office, creating a city police department, and finding a neighboring city such as Tracy or Manteca that would be willing to share police services are the three alternatives that the study will focus on.
While the staff suggested $50,000 for the study, the resolution approved by the council calls for an amount “up to $50,000.”
