City wants to use funds for existing position

GUSTINE – The city is eligible for a quarter-million dollars in federal stimulus money that could help keep an officer on the street through tough budget times.

City Manager Margaret Silveira said the city has been told it is eligible for the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) grant funding, but has not yet formally accepted the money.

It must first sort out a discrepancy.

The city wants to use the money to pay the salary of an existing officer, Silveira said, but the language in the approved grant application calls for funding additional positions.

“Our original application was for funding for four officer positions. My direction was that we were applying for funds to offset the cost of two existing officers and to hire two officers for vacant positions that are now frozen,” Silveira explained. Instead, she said, the application asked for funding for four additional positions.

“At the time we applied we were not anticipating a 25 percent hit in our property tax, plus another $89,000 hit from the state,” Silveira said. “When I received the award letter, I put in a call to the Department of Justice, explained the situation with our budget and asked if it had to be used to add a position.”

Silveira said she was told the dilemma is a common one, and that the city could file a supplemental form to amend its application.

“We are still looking into it, but I feel very confident that we will be allowed to use the money for an existing officer,” the city manager stated.

While it had applied for four officers, she added, the city was very excited to receive funding for one officer’s salary. Many agencies received no COPS funding.

The grant picks up the salary and benefit of an officer for three years. The city is obligated to continue the position at least one additional year.

Given the city’s budget straits, Silveira said, the extra money could “absolutely” keep an officer from being laid off in coming years.