Manteca would have 30 percent less police officers and a third less firefighters if a 2006 voter approved half cent sales tax wasn’t in place.

The city is currently funding 18 of the 72 sworn officer positions in the police department and 18 of the 45 firefighters using Measure M funds.

The impact of the half cent sales tax was outlined in an annual report Richard Silverman, chair of the Public Safety Tax Oversight Committee, presented to the Manteca City Council on Tuesday.

The city collected $7 million in Measure M sales tax receipts in the fiscal year ending June 30 against $8.6 million in expenditures. That includes $331,400 spent for Motorola radio upgrades for police personnel.

The city, by contrast, collected $14 million in general fund sales tax receipts during the same time period. Just over 62 cents of every general fund dollar spent goes to public safety. Other sources of general fund revenue includes property taxes and hotel room taxes among others.

Silverman said that while the expenditure for the radio upgrades is allowed under the ordinance a previous council adopted after passage of Measure M,. the committee is recommending that funds should not be used for capital outlays and instead be used only for staffing needs. It is the first time in the 15-year history of the tax measure that funds were used for capital outlay expenses to equip public safety personnel.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com