City Ends Fiscal Year with Surplus
Nov 04, 2021 12:00AM ● By Story by Shaunna BoydCITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - At the October 28 meeting, Interim Administrative Services Director Bill Zenoni provided the Citrus Heights City Council with a financial update on the City’s general fund. The budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, which ended in June, included an expected shortfall of $3.7 million, with plans to utilize a line of credit to cover the gap. However, the City actually ended up with a surplus of $3.6 million.
The surplus can be attributed to higher-than-expected revenues as well as lower expenditures. Maintaining staff vacancies saved a significant amount of money on expenditures, and federal funding awards helped bolster the revenue stream and fund operating costs at the Citrus Heights Police Department. Sales tax revenues were also higher than expected, because although local sales decreased due to COVID-19, online sales increased enough to cover, and exceed, the difference in sales tax revenue.
The Council also moved forward with an amendment to the residential solid waste collection and recycling services agreement with Republic Services. The service changes and proposed rate increases are a result of unfunded organics recycling mandates required by California’s Senate Bill (SB) 1383 to reduce methane gas production.
Weekly garbage collection and bi-weekly recycling collection will continue, while green waste will increase to weekly a collection that must now include organic food waste. The cost of the organics recycling program will total approximately $2 million per year, due to the costs of additional trucks, processing services, customer outreach and education, and administration services to monitor the program.
Collection rates for Citrus Heights residents have increased much slower than the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which allows for a maximum of 3.5% increase each year. Current rates are only about a dollar higher than in 2010, but increases will be necessary to maintain current services and cover the additional mandated services.
Most Citrus Heights customers subscribe to the 64-gallon carts, which will cost $23.61 per billing cycle in January 2022. When the organics recycling program is implemented in July 2022, the cost will increase to $29.80. Additional scheduled increases will occur each January throughout the contract, with the rate hitting $35.40 by 2027. Even with the increases, City staff said rates in Citrus Heights will still be among the lowest in the region.
Affected property owners can protest proposed fee increases under Prop 218, and the public hearing on this issue is set for January 27, 2022. If a majority of account holders submit written protests, the City cannot impose the fee. But if the City does not comply with the SB 1383 requirements, the state can impose significant financial penalties—up to $10,000 per day.
Councilmember Bret Daniels called the mandate “ridiculous.” He acknowledged that it needed to pass but said he would vote no “symbolically.”
The motion passed 3-2, with Daniels and Tim Schaefer dissenting. Mayor Steve Miller said, “I wanted to vote no, too.” Councilmember Bruins agreed: “I think we all did.”
Councilmembers Daniels and Bruins brought forward an item suggesting that Council approve a resolution supporting citizens’ choice regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
Section 1 of the resolution stated that the Council “encourages people to make an informed decision, assess risk and make the best decision for themselves and their families including the right to determine if they should receive the COVID-19 vaccine.”
Section 2 specified that the Council “encourages families to voice their opposition and concerns regarding mandates for students to be vaccinated or wear a mask.”
Section 3 expressed support for “all employers, including private sector, education, public agencies, including the City of Citrus Heights, to allow employees the choice as to whether or not to be vaccinated.”
Daniels said, “The virus is real, the vaccine can be effective, and if you want to take one you should. And if you don’t want to take one, you shouldn’t have to.”
Councilmember Schaefer said he believes in the vaccine, but “I also believe in liberty.”
Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton didn’t think this issue merited an official resolution from the Council: “We don’t need a mandate or a resolution saying that you can do whatever you want to do. We live in America.”
Mayor Miller spoke passionately against this resolution, stating that he agreed with making an informed decision, but he believes that decision should be informed by doctors and not conspiracy theories. He pointed out that in addition to protecting yourself and your family, getting the vaccine helps protect anyone you come in contact with, including young children and other vulnerable people who cannot be vaccinated.
Miller took further issue with the wording of Section 2, which seemed to specifically support “opposition” to mask and vaccine mandates in schools. “This language does not sound like a resolution promoting choice; it sounds like the Citrus Heights City Council is providing direction to you to oppose measures to keep our children safe.” He pointed out that public K-12 schools already have an array of vaccine requirements before students are eligible to attend: “You have the choice to have your children vaccinated or not. Like all the other vaccines, if your kids are not qualified for a valid exemption, and you choose not to have them vaccinated, there are consequences to your choices.”
Regarding Section 3, Miller said, “Citrus Heights does not have a mandate policy. We have no plans for such a policy.” And he said it is not within the Council’s purview to make suggestions for other agencies and businesses: “Instead, I support their choices to keep their students, customers, and employees safe.”
Miller called the resolution “a huge disserve to the men and women on the front lines who have carried the world through this pandemic.” He expected our country to “come together” to protect each other during this time, and the rampant misinformation about masks and vaccines “is keeping us from fully opening our businesses, hospitals, schools, travel, entertainment venues, on and on.”
He encouraged anyone doubtful about the vaccine to talk to their doctor before making their choice. “We can do better than this,” he said.
Councilmember Bruins seemed swayed by Mayor Miller’s words, saying that it helps to hear other perspectives. She suggested setting the resolution aside to reconsider, or moving forward with only Section 1, but Councilmember Daniels didn’t think Section 1 was enough on its own.
Councilmember Schaefer agreed that the language in Section 2 was too “adversarial,” and the consensus was to change to more neutral wording regarding mask and vaccine mandates for students, from “voice their opposition” to “voice their position.”
Vice Mayor Middleton didn’t think Section 3 was necessary, and so Daniels changed his motion to include just Section 1 and the amended Section 2. It passed 4-1, with Mayor Miller dissenting.