GARDEN GROVE : Police and Fire Cuts Possible, City Warns

City leaders last week presented a scary picture of future police and fire protection in this financially ailing city unless a new source of money can be found, probably in the form of a utility tax on residents’ telephone, electric and gas bills.

The warnings were prompted by an attempt by a local anti-tax activist to head off the imposition of any new utility taxes.

Officials warned that the city may lose up to 15 police officers’ positions and eight firefighters’ positions, as well as other key personnel as they grapple with next year’s budget. Some of the police and fire positions reportedly are already vacant.

A fire station may be closed and cuts probably will slice even deeper next year if there is no financial infusion, the officials said.

“When do you get to the point that, one, you better start carrying a gun as I do or, two, put bars around your windows and over your doors?” asked Councilman Frank Kessler, the city’s former police chief.

Kessler indicated that conditions may already be risky. He said there is not a single major shopping center that has not had a robbery in its parking lot in the past year. And he estimated that there may be only 10 or 11 officers to protect the city’s 145,000 residents on any given night shift.

Stirring concerns both from Kessler and from Mayor W.E. (Walt) Donovan was a recent attempt by tax foe and former City Council candidate Bruce Broadwater to make it harder for the council to impose a utility tax.

Broadwater urged council members last month to ask the voters in the November election to decide if they would require a two-thirds’ council majority--or four of the five members--before the council could approve the new tax. Currently, only a simple majority is needed.

Broadwater, who said he may run for council or mayor in November, maintained that if the issue was placed on the ballot, it would force candidates to state their positions.

Broadwater claimed that officials will find a way to spend the money the utility tax would bring in whether programs are needed or not.

The City Council declined to put Broadwater’s proposal on the ballot. Robert F. Dinsen voted with Donovan and Kessler against the ballot proposal, although he opposes the imposition of utility taxes. Dinsen said he believes that it is illegal for officials to raise taxes.

“The city is in a financial dilemma,” Donovan said. “Everybody seems to think we are loaded, but we are going to have to lay off police, fire and everybody else. Somebody has to sit down and say: ‘We are not going broke.’ ”