Antioch Council balances budget using $4.6 million in Stabilization funds, $4 million saved from staff vacancies
3 give each council member $20K to spend on community events in their districts for the first time ever
After saying last year, “not now or in the future will I ever support an increase,” Torres-Walker flip flops joining 3 other members to support council pay raise
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, the Antioch City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2023-25 Mid-Year Budget based on balancing it with $4.6 million from the Budget Stabilization Fund and over $4 million saved from city staff vacancies. That figure is currently pegged at 100 positions.
In addition, a new budget item approved by the council majority allocates $20,000 for each council member to spend on community events in their district. Plus, four of the council members approved moving forward a pay raise of as much as $300 per month to $1,900, for the part-time policy-making positions.
The council had to allocate $4.3 million in remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) COVID-relief funds, which have to be spent by the end of this year.
At the beginning of the Regular meeting, Antioch City Attorney Thomas L. Smith reported out from the council’s closed session meeting on the matter of hiring a new city manager that, “the city council gave direction to the city attorney and Human Resources Director” but nothing more.
Mid-Year City Budget Approval
The council approved the 2023-25 Mid-Year budget using $4.617 million from the Budget Stabilization Fund, leaving a balance of $31.7 million, and $4.065 million from savings due to staff vacancies.
District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica pointed out, “We’ve been able to add every year to the Budget Stabilization Fund.”
“It’s due to salary savings,” said City Finance Director Dawn Merchant. “It’s there for future use.”
Her budget report shows there were 100 city staff vacancies at the time of its writing.
“We’re almost $4 million more than when it started,” Barbanica added.
Merchant then shared, “The General Fund Reserve is estimated to have approximately $32 million. It will continue, once we get past this wave of having vacancy savings.” She then pointed out that projected “revenues are $97.3 million and expenditures are over $101 million.”
“So, we should be looking at some reduction in spending.” Barbanica stated.
“Hopefully, over the next year we can tackle some of these vacancies,” Merchant said. “We’re kind of in a crazy cycle. When we do get to the point where we don’t have the 120 vacancies, the expenditure numbers are going to continue to rise.”
Council Majority Adds $20,000 for Each Member to Spend on Community Events in Their Districts
District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker spoke first about a first-time ever, proposed budget allocation available to each council member for use on community events in their Districts, complaining about the amount in the city staff report for the budget.
“I think $2,000 is a slap in the face. My number was between $10 and $20,000 for each councilperson for community events, things other city councils get to do,” she stated. “I don’t mean campaign funds. Some of us are using our own hard-earned dollars to give back to the community.”
“I agree with Councilmember Torres-Walker,” Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe said. “I do spend a lot of my own money.”
Torres-Walker then suggested $5,000 but “that is low.” Hernandez-Thorpe suggested $10,000. District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson suggested, “up to” $10,000.
“You don’t have to use it. But it should be available,” Torres-Walker added.
“I will work with you all so there will be legal parameters,” City Attorney Smith stated.
“It’s like my newsletter that I do. We don’t want to confuse that with my campaign,” the mayor shared.
Neither Ogorchock nor Barbanica offered any comments on the matter and the council majority agreed to allocate $10,000 to each council member for a total of $50,000 included in the budget.
Hernandez-Thorpe later suggested the amount be increased to $20,000 each for a total of $100,000, receiving approval from both Wilson and Torres-Walker.
Other Additions to the Budget
The council also approved the following additions to the budget:
- $100,000 for the mural program;
- $100,000 for outsourcing internal affairs investigations in the police department;
- $500,000 for new radios for both the police and other City departments as part of a total $2 million expenditure;
- $560,000 for 8,000 sq. ft. of concrete replacement at City parks and other parks maintenance work;
- $85,000 in FY25 for extra tree work in the Street Light & Landscape Districts;
- $389,929 to pay down the Police Supplementary Plan unfunded liability; and
- $277,131 remaining set aside for non-profit organizations in the community.
Ogorchock then spoke about the use of the remaining ARPA funds saying, “We have an opportunity…Hope Solutions for the project off Contra Loma.”
“That’s going to CDBG (Community Development Block Grant funds council subcommittee) this Thursday,” Barbanica interjected.
“I would like to be able for us to help them…to get this project going,” Ogorchock continued. “There’s another project off Delta Fair. Father Robert wanted a project on the property at St. Ignatius. So, there’s another project, there.”
Merchant than said, “Of the $4.3 million in remaining ARPA funds, $1.8 million will go for the building purchase, plus there will be some needed upgrades…design work,” referring to the former PG&E building on the corner of W. 2nd and I Streets for additional city staff offices instead of the former Rivertown Resource Center on W. 10th Street, as previously reported.
Merchant also mentioned spending, “$2.1 million for the Angelo Quinto Response Team. They’re asking for a one-year contract extension. What we are proposing is, if the council is agreeable to extending the contract, that takes the $1.37 million off the table for other projects that we could fund.”
“I don’t want you allocating more than we have,” she stated.
“Are they providing, number one, a benefit to the community and a benefit to the department keeping police from going to these calls?” Barbanica asked about the response team.
Acting Police Chief Brian Addington responded by simply saying, “Yes”.
“We need more presentations like that,” Torres-Walker said with a laugh.
The council approved the $2.1 million in ARPA funds for the one-year extension for the Response Team.
Ogorchock and Barbanica then attempted to adjourn the meeting at 10:46 PM, as the council has agreed previously to adjourn their meetings by 11:00 PM. But the other three council members voted against their motion.
4 Councilmembers Agree to Move Forward With Pay Raise
City Attorney Smith then provided a brief staff presentation on a possible council pay raise, saying, “The state already approved this, so the council just has to say, ‘yes’.”
“This will be for the next council,” Barbanica pointed out, to which Smith responded, “This council is not increasing their salaries.”
“Are we agreeable to bring back the ordinance?” Hernandez-Thorpe asked.
“Yes,” said Torres-Walker, joining the mayor, Wilson and Barbanica. The mayor didn’t ask Ogorchock her views on the matter as he already had consensus from the other councilmembers.
According to the city staff report for the agenda item, “On June 29, 2023 Governor Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 329…which increases the compensation that councilmembers of general law cities may receive for their work. The City of Antioch is included in the bracket cities over 75,000 up to and including 150,000 in population, which may compensate councilmembers up to and including one thousand nine hundred dollars ($1,900) per month totaling twenty-two thousand eight hundred dollars ($22,800) per year” for the part time position.
The council members currently each receive $1,600.04 per month, after approving a 70% pay raise from $941.60 per month in 2019 on a split vote with then-Councilman Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe and Councilwoman Monica Wilson voting in favor, and Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock casting the lone “no” vote.
The council did not support a pay raise of about 16% last year, which would have provided each $1,825.25 per month. Thorpe said he supported it and Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker was opposed saying, “I would like the public to definitely know, that not now or in the future will I ever support an increase, unless it’s something that absolutely has to happen, regardless of whether we vote on it or not as a council.” Wilson wanted the state legislature to set council salaries, Ogorchock made no comment on the matter and Councilman Mike Barbanica was absent.
The $299.96 per month increase would result in an 18.75% pay raise which can’t go into effect until after the November election, resulting in an impact of $18,000 per year to the city budget.
In addition, according to the staff report, “Senate Bill 329 also authorizes the salary of council members to be increased beyond the specified maximum to an amount not exceeding the greater of either 5% for each calendar year from the effective date of the last adjustment of the salary or an amount equal to inflation since January 1, 2024, based on the California Consumer Price Index (not to exceed 10% per calendar year).”
However, the council cannot vote for automatic future pay raises. Since it can’t go into effect until after the November elections, it only for sure benefits Torres-Walker and Wilson, and whomever is elected mayor and in the council races in Districts 2 and 3. Barbanica is running for county supervisor and Ogorchock can’t run for reelection, unless she moves into District 2, as she was gerrymandered out of her district and into Wilson’s neighboring District 4 by the council majority during redistricting in 2022. (See related article)
City staff will bring back a resolution for a vote by the council on a future meeting agenda.
The council then adjourned the meeting at 10:52 PM and all other items on the agenda will be postponed to a future council meeting.
the attachments to this post:
2023-24 & 2024-25 GF Budget Summary
City Budget Council Pay Raise
