DINUBA – A public safety sales tax passed in Dinuba 20 years ago has continued to help sustain police and fire services within the city.
Revenue from the sales tax, also known as Measure F, will now support a handful of new traffic cameras with license plate reading technology in addition to the personnel and equipment it already funds. The Dinuba City Council unanimously approved a budget amendment to the 10-year sales tax spending plan for maintenance of the cameras and also approved the continuance of the tax at its meeting Aug. 13.
“This tax has been fundamental in ensuring the public safety needs of the residents of Dinuba are being met,” Administrative Services Director Karina Solis said.
Solis said the council approved the 10-year expenditure plan for the tax in July 2023, which identified personnel, maintenance, operations and capital expenses through the 2032-2033 fiscal year. However, she noted financial information and sales tax revenue figures have changed since then.
“We have more updated sales tax revenue figures, so we are updating the 10-year expenditure plan,” Solis said.
Annual revenue from Measure F, which levies a three-quarters of 1% tax on all sales in the city, is expected to be just under $3.5 million in fiscal year 2024-25 and grow to more than $4.4 million in fiscal year 2033-2034. Its expenses are estimated to outpace revenues for this fiscal year as well as fiscal years 2032-2033 and 2033-2034; however, Solis said the fund has a strong continuing balance and revenue projections will change over the next 10 years. This means small deficits are not too concerning when looking that far out.
The 10-year expenditure plan was also amended to account for five years of maintenance for eight security cameras the city plans to buy. According to a city staff report, the equipment itself costs $27,000 and is being paid for through the general fund with DMV auto theft revenues. The annual maintenance cost is budgeted at $24,000 annually for five years.
The cameras will have license plate reading technology that will “aid public safety officers with finding lost or stolen vehicles or vehicles involved in criminal activities,” the staff report said. The system will also provide real-time traffic alerts and can help with Amber Alerts.
Further, the sales tax revenue will continue to fund police department patrol officers, maintenance and operations, patrol vehicle payments, a detective position and two dispatchers. For the fire department, the revenue will fund four firefighter-paramedic positions and one firefighter-EMT position along with other maintenance and operation expenses. In fiscal year 2024-25, the revenue will also go toward a one-time capital expense for a fire engine.
“Since its inception, the public safety sales tax measure has allowed for the salaries and benefits of key frontline personnel, the completion of the Emergency Operations Center, the purchase of numerous patrol vehicles, two fire engines and several public safety pieces of machinery equipment,” Solis said.
The 2024-25 Measure F budget includes more than $1.7 million for 11 patrol officers, $175,000 for one detective position and more than $833,000 for five fire department positions.
