Ogorchock opposes City Council’s decision to spend Measure O funds to eliminate Furlough Fridays
Will use funds to hire more police, instead
By Allen Payton
In a news release on Wednesday, October 29th, candidate for the Antioch City Council in the November election, Lori Ogorchock stated, that she opposes the City Council’s unanimous decision to spend more than a third of the funds from Measure O, if passed, to eliminate Furlough Fridays. Instead, she will spend those funds to hire more police to help make Antioch safer, if elected.
During the September 23rd City Council meeting, the Antioch City Council, on a 4-0 vote, approved recommendations from the city staff, to spend $800,000 each year of the annual estimated $2.27 million from Measure O, to return city staff to a five-day work week.
“I will vote to spend those funds to hire additional police officers, if I’m elected,” Ogorchock stated. “To spend over a third of Measure O’s funds on anything but police to reduce crime in Antioch, is just irresponsible.”
According to the staff report:
If Measure O passes and provides $2.27 million in additional annual funding, staff recommends the following spending priorities:
Between January 2015 and the end of Fiscal Year 2015-16, use approximately $800,000 for the elimination of “Furlough Fridays” so that City Hall, Police Department reception, and the Public Works office can once again be open to the public for a five day work week. All field staff would also return to 40 hour operations. When implemented in 2009, the furlough program was intended to be a temporary fiscal solution to the downturn in the economy, not an indefinite service reduction to the public. Although a five day work week would be implemented, restoration of afternoon counter hours in Community Development and the Police Department will be dependent upon staffing resources. This will be an ongoing cost.
“If elected, I will work with the Mayor and the rest of the city council to reverse that decision and do what the people want the Council to do with the additional tax revenue generated by Measure O,” she added. “That’s to spend the majority of it to hire more police officers to fight crime.”
A longtime Antioch resident, Ogorchock is a Realtor, a former Police Reserve Officer and graduate of the Police Academy. This is her first campaign for public office. For more information about Lori or her campaign, visit www.LoriO4Antioch.com or call (925) 628-7764.
She is one of seven remaining candidates in the race for two seats on the City Council in next Tuesday’s election. One of the eight candidates, Steven Bado, whose name will still appear on the ballot, dropped out of the race on Sunday and endorsed Ogorchock for elction.
I voted for Lori and Karl, two upstanding citizens who are ready to fight and make real changes to Antioch.
thanks reginald,
but what a funny discussion. our city council spend money we don’t even have yet. nobody knows if measure o passes, election is next week, then we need to establish a data base, and then it needs to be collected. to many if’s and but’s for me.