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Crime & Safety

Public Input Prompts Delay of Baldwin Park Tax Vote

Baldwin Park Mayor Manuel Lozano made the motion to delay the item to the next City Council meeting, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

A decision on the potential imposition of a public safety tax was held over until the next Baldwin Park City Council meeting, it was reported Thursday.

The tax could be introduced next year in order to fund the city's police department, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported.

The mayor decided to move the item to the following meeting because a discussion of the matter took up so much time, the news outlet's web site reported.

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If the city cannot keep its department, it must contract with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

In a staff report prepared for the item, various potential tax options were reviewed, including parcel, utility-use and sales taxes, SGVTribune.com reported.

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The matter could be placed on special election ballots for March 5 or June 4, or wait until the next regular local election Nov. 5.

The city is projecting a $1 million deficit in its General Fund budget for this fiscal year, the news agency reported.

"City officials have said they're concerned about long-term challenges posed by pension and retiree medical benefits that could bankrupt the city if nothing is done," the paper reported.

A sheriff's study determined that the city could save more than $4.5 million if it contracts with the department, according to the Tribune.

The council in a 3-2 vote last month resolved to spend $90,000 for further study of the matter but it could take six months for a subsequent report to be ready, the Tribune reported.

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