Santa Ana : Tax Increase Will Fund More Police, Firemen

Santa Ana will hire 13 new police officers and 15 firefighters under a $233.9-million budget that includes a city utility tax increase from 3% to 4%.

Under the new budget, adopted by the City Council late Monday, the higher utility taxes will be used to pay for the new police and firemen.

The tax is added to monthly telephone, gas and electricity bills. The increase will take effect Dec. 1. City Manager David N. Ream said the typical Santa Ana resident will pay $1 more each month because of the utility tax hike.

The city is in the middle of a five-year budget plan that includes a commitment to increase public safety, Deputy City Manager Jan Perkins said. Police and fire protection account for 61% of the city’s general fund spending.

Three of the new police officers will be assigned to narcotics suppression, seven to patrol, two to the drinking-driving team and one to Century High School as a school-liaison officer.

The higher tax will bring in an extra $2 million a year to fund the new employees and almost double the amount of money spent of the city’s gang-diversion program, Perkins said.

An extra $10,140 will also be spent for an in-school program for fourth-graders and $72,050 will be designated for supervised after-school activities--all aimed to keeping children out of gangs.

“What we’re trying to do is provide an alternative to gang membership . . . at a time when they’re susceptible to peer pressure,” Perkins said.

Under the new budget, the city also will hire four full-time workers whose goal will be to remove graffiti as quickly as possible, she said.