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Tax Hike Fails to Bolster Services
By Rowena Lugtu-Shaddox

FAIRFIELD - When voters seven years ago agreed to more taxes to pay for police, local politicians promised they'd use every penny to increase cop budgets.

Residents went to the Solano County Board of Supervisor's podium, one by one, saying they'd watch to make sure the money paid for more police and better prosecution of criminals.

What a difference seven years makes.

Now government workers are about the only ones looking at Proposition 172 money. And, like Lottery money meant for the schools, the tax money hasn't done much to boost budgets - or pay for new cops.

For example, in 1999, Suisun City's cut of the tax paid for only one-half of an officer. Fairfield and Vacaville did better, getting three and four cops, respectively, with the cash.

Seven years after the proposition was enacted, last year was the first time funding exceeded the general contribution from 1992, District Attorney Dave Paulson said.

"The amount of money is not probably what it should be. Proposition 172 was supposed to be an addition (to the General Fund). It never was," Mr. Paulson said.

The Solano County grand jury noted during a 1999/2000 investigation a lack of substantial financial increases to the Sheriff's Department and the DA's budgets since 1993.

In other words, the new taxes only backfilled budgets instead of bolstering them, as voters intended.

"This was not new money but partial payback of property tax the state stole from us," Fairfield Finance Director Bob Leland said. "The purpose was to replace the money from the state. The net effect: It allowed cities and counties to restore some of the cuts."

For several years, Fairfield yielded a little more than $200,000 each year, Mr. Leland said. In the past two years, the share has been more, thanks to a healthier economy.

"The money can't be more than the economic climate," Mr. Leland said.

Proposition 172, the "Local Public Safety Protection and Improvement Act of 1993," enacted a one-half percent state sales tax and required the revenues be used only for public safety activities.

Proposition 172 money is "a drop in the bucket," Vacaville Finance Director Ken Campo said. The city projects about $250,000 for this year, ranking it second after Fairfield in the county for the funding, Mr. Campo said.

Fairfield's police force increased 43 positions since Proposition 172 started, from 123 police officers to 166 - though most of the increase had nothing to do with the extra tax money. Twenty-eight of those new positions were possible because of a 2 percent utility tax passed by the City Council four years ago, Mr. Leland said.

The sales tax money Suisun City police gets is simply added to the department's budget, Chief Ron Forsythe said.

"The money is used to keep (officers)," he said. So with the combined funding, the city is able to pay for salaries, including retirement and medical benefits, Mr. Forsythe added. The grand jury praised Suisun City for "clearly utilizing the money for law enforcement."

The County Administrator's Office divides the county's Proposition 172 money among the District Attorney's Office, the Sheriff's Department and various other law enforcement agencies here.

As long as he receives the funding necessary, "I'm happy and don't care where it comes from," Mr. Paulson said.

He hopes with sales up and a fat economy, Proposition 172 money will be as high as $2.8 million, as opposed to $2.6 million he received for this fiscal year.

A smaller amount of $233,970 was budgeted to offset expenses for the Solano County Narcotics Enforcement Team, Mr. Paulson said. Additional state and federal grants add up to $3.7 million.

Of the total budget for the DA's office, 27 percent goes to public safety. This funding is spread among the criminal and fraud investigations, narcotic enforcement, domestic violence, victim witness assistance and the Rainbow Children's Center.

Thirty-five percent of the Solano County Sheriff's budget goes toward public safety, funded by Proposition 172. This includes the Office of Emergency Services, patrol, dispatch and investigations.