Facing firefighter and police shortage, Gilroy weighs sales tax ballot measure

Gilroy city council voted 4-3 this week to move forward with a ballot measure that would add a quarter-cent sales tax in order to fund flagging public safety in the city.

In an effort to combat a decade of stagnant staffing for firefighters and police officers, Gilroy City Council has decided to move ahead with a ballot measure that would increase the sales tax a quarter percent to pay for public safety.

“I generally oppose tax increases across the board,” said Mayor Marie Blankley after Monday night’s council meeting. “But when I know that there is no revenue stream coming in to help us with public safety, and I feel as strongly as I do about public safety. I gotta … give (voters) a chance to say ‘do you think this is worth the extra money or not?’”

According to city staff, the number of firefighter and police has virtually remained unchanged over the last decade, despite the city’s growth by about 15 percent during the same time period.  Meanwhile, firefighters in Gilroy respond to 77% more calls than in 2012. That figure is exasperated by an ongoing paramedic shortage in the county that at times forces firefighters to spend precious time waiting for ambulances when responding to a call, city staff said.

Given the growth, the city projects it needs to hire 15 police staff, add 17 firefighters, and build one more fire station, in addition to other smaller improvements to buildings and equipment.

Faced with such a need, staff recommended a 0.25% increase in sales tax, bringing local sales tax up to 9.375%. The measure could add between $4.1 and $4.7 million every year for staffing, infrastructure and equipment, with about half of that money coming from shoppers who live outside of the city.

Andrew Lopez, president of the Gilroy Police Officers Association, noted how the lack of staff had led to slower response times. “I have seen and heard the complaints of my community members asking ‘what took me so long,’” he said, voicing his support for the ballot measure. “By investing in these areas, we can create a safer and more connected Gilroy for everyone.”

However, some residents think the city should explore other options.

“It seems like we’re rushing to get this on the ballot,” Gilroy resident Terrance Fugazi, who recommended “belt tightening” or cutting “lesser-needed” public services. “I want public safety just as much as the next person … I just think we need to work more on looking at where we’re spending money right now in the city.”

Fugazi referenced city figures that estimate putting the measure on the ballot could cost from $100,000 to $300,000. And since the measure involves public safety, it requires a ⅔ majority in order to pass.

“As a voter, I’m pessimistic,” said Councilmember Tom Cline about the high threshold for voter approval. However, he advocated for exploring the measure while “looking at the big picture” of all available options.

Still others focused on the pressing desire of community members for better public safety. “We’ve explored lots of things. Fire is supporting this. Police are supporting this — I think it’s something that growing communities have to do,” said Councilmember Rebeca Armendariz. “We can’t continue to have parts of our community not getting adequate response.”

Moving forward, city staff will work on crafting the measure for the public to weigh in on at a community meeting on June 10 and city council approval on July 29.