In a recent Merced County Public Safety Survey, 62.5 percent of the respondents said they would support a countywide half-cent sales tax increase to help address firefighter and sheriff deputy shortages, while 19.6 percent would oppose it, and 17.8 were undecided.
The data was presented during Tuesday’s meeting of the Merced County Board of Supervisors when leaders and top county officials revealed a ballot measure proposal was in the works to help alleviate ongoing public safety concerns.
“Our public safety is in jeopardy,” Sheriff Vern Warnke told leaders for the umpteenth time. “There is no way to sugar coat it. … So let’s do something to fix it. … The bottom line is we’ve got to take care of it, and the citizens have to step up and say, ‘Hey this is a priority.’ … Do I want more taxes? Heck no. But I also know that if I want to put gas in my car, I’ve gotta pay for it.”
Since the start of the year, Sheriff Warnke has been complaining at public meetings and on social media about the lack of support for staffing in his department and the loss of personnel to other agencies in the region and beyond. In turn, leaders have said there just isn’t enough money in the budget to go around all the county’s departments, and also solve all the problems at the Sheriff’s Department. Not to mention staffing problems regarding the county’s firefighters which have already led to plans to close fire stations in the area.
The county and the Deputy Sheriff’s Association did come to a new contract agreement in the spring to help maintain current staff levels and to recruit more deputies. However, the sheriff and others say it was just a temporary fix.
On Tuesday, the sheriff said a public safety tax proposal would be a way to address his staffing concerns, as well as the issue of closing fire stations.
“The [survey] numbers speak for themselves,” he said.
Scott Winn, vice president of operations for the Greensburgh Group, presented the survey on Tuesday for leaders to consider. A total of 582 residents throughout the county participated in the survey process that included sending out six questions through emails and text messages. The sample of residents were described as “civically engaged” residents with a mid to high propensity for voting in elections. The model was based on a 75 percent voter turnout. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percent.
Among the overall findings:
- 42.9 percent of county respondents feel extremely or somewhat unsafe, while 45.6 percent feel somewhat safe, and 11.4 percent feel extremely safe.
- 57.6 percent of respondents believe that crime has increased in the last year, 30.1 percent believe it has stayed the same, and 5.9 percent believe it has decreased.
- 54.7 percent of respondents have no or low confidence that local law enforcement agencies have the necessary resources to address their reported crime, while 36.3 percent have moderate confidence, and 9 percent have high confidence.
- 74.4 percent support increased public safety funding, with 40.9 percent indicating strong support, 16.1 percent being unsure, and 10 percent opposed to increased funding.
- Of those opposed to, or undecided about a local sales tax increase for public safety, 29.5 percent believe alternative funding solutions should be explored before resorting to a sales tax increase, while 20.8 percent are concerned about the need for more transparency in how the funds will be utilized.
Sheriff Warnke pointed out that his top department managers have been looking for funding alternatives, and so have county’s administrators, but to no avail.
Also speaking in apparent support of the tax proposal during the meeting was District Attorney Nicole Silveira and Assistant Fire Chief Mark Pimentel. During public comment, two female residents spoke up and described multiple encounters with criminals in recent months.
No details on the language of a proposed countywide public safety sales tax were discussed at Tuesday’s meeting. No dates were announced on when a decision would be made on such a ballot measure. However, deadlines to meet ballot requirements by the County’s Registrar of Voters are coming up fast.
Last November, voters in the City of Atwater supported renewing the city’s (Measure B) 1 percent sales tax to provide funding for public safety services. In the March primary, Merced voters approved a new, updated Measure C — a 1/2 cent sales tax to support the city’s police and fire departments that was originally passed in 2006 for a 20-year period.