Vacaville officials are floating a local revenue measure as they stare down a stubborn budget gap that City Manager Savita Chaudhary says is about $9 million a year. In a recent letter to residents, Chaudhary warned that the city is exploring ways to protect core services like police, fire, and 911 emergency response. City leaders say the potential measure would also help pay for neighborhood street repairs, with any new money locked in for local use only.
Letter Shared By Vacaville Police
In a message shared by the Vacaville Police Department, the city linked to Chaudhary’s letter that lays out the fiscal challenges and the possibility of a future ballot measure. The post urges residents to read the full letter and weigh in through upcoming briefings and surveys. For many locals, that police post served as the first public look at the city’s explanation of the problem and its outline of potential next steps.
What Chaudhary’s Letter Says
In the Feb. 6 letter, Chaudhary details a roughly $9 million annual structural shortfall and recaps cost-cutting moves already in play. The city has “implemented significant cost-saving measures totaling $9.2 million,” including tightening spending and freezing or delaying the hiring of 25 positions, according to the City of Vacaville. She also notes that any new revenue measure would come with a citizens' oversight committee and annual independent audits, a combo meant to reassure residents about transparency and accountability.
How The Measure Would Be Used And Where It Fits
City officials are pitching the potential measure as a tool to keep public safety services intact, maintain 911 emergency response, and fund neighborhood street and road repairs. They repeatedly emphasize that every dollar raised would stay in Vacaville. The idea would layer on top of existing local revenue from Measure M. The City of Vacaville notes that voters extended Measure M in 2016 and that its funds support capital projects and staffing. The police department’s post pushed out both the letter and the city’s list of priorities, it says, that would be protected or bolstered by any new funding.
Next Steps And How Residents Can Weigh In
City staff plan to bring an informational item to the City Council’s Feb. 10 meeting, with the council packet and staff report posted to the city’s meeting portal, according to the Vacaville City Council. The city also has a hybrid town hall on the calendar for March 19 at Three Oaks Community Center to gather public input, according to the City of Vacaville. The letter notes that staff will build web materials and surveys if the council directs them to continue developing the measure, and that residents will have multiple opportunities to weigh in before any ballot language is finalized.
