Here are some of the issues the...

Here are some of the issues the council considered Monday:

ALLOCATION OF FUNDS

The council approved how it will spend state public safety funds

if it receives them, which it is required to do before it can receive

the funds. Councilwoman Libby Cowan was absent.

The funds are given out by the state through the Citizen’s Options

for Public Safety/Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund. The

program was designed to provide funds to local agencies to support

current, front-line law enforcement needs.

The program requires a general description of how agencies will

spend the funds before the funds are disbursed.

Over the past seven fiscal years, the city has received about $1.6

million from the fund, enabling the Costa Mesa Police Department to

obtain needed personnel, equipment and technology. City officials are

not sure how much they will get this year but are anticipating

$166,000, which is close to what the city received last year. They

are hoping to use the money for needs including an extra police

sergeant position, workstations and K9 kennels.

WHAT IT MEANS

The city is now eligible to receive the funds.

BALLOT INITIATIVE RESOLUTION

The council approved supporting Proposition 1A, which would

restrict the state legislature’s ability to arbitrarily take local

government funding, including cities’ and counties’ share of existing

sales taxes, property taxes and vehicle-license fee revenues.

The proposition is the result of a bipartisan effort during the

budget negotiations among Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, local

governments and other entities.

This proposition will be on the November ballot. There is a

similar measure that the League of California Cities and a coalition

of local government officials got on the ballot before Proposition

1A, so they could have some leverage in the budget discussions with

Schwarzenegger. That measure, Proposition 65, would also keep the

state from raiding local governments’ funds to offset the state

budget deficit.

The league of cities believes Proposition 1A better protects local

government, public safety, healthcare and other services as well as

prevents the state from taking local funds, so it is urging voters to

support this proposition and oppose Proposition 65.

WHAT IT MEANS

The city is on the record for its support of Proposition 1A

WHAT WAS SAID

“I can’t stress enough how important it is to pass 1A,” Councilman

Allan Mansoor said. “Support of 1A will have the effect of taking the

car keys and whiskey out of the hands of the state legislators before

they crash and burn our state with the fiscal irresponsibility of

constantly taking our funds.”