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David Siders
David Siders covers Stockton City Hall for The Record. He is from Duluth, Minn., and has been at The Record since 2004. He lives in Stockton with his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Alice. Read FullCategories
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Category Archives: Budget crisis
Dilligence
At Monday’s meeting of the City Council’s budget and finance committee, Budget Officer Joe Maestretti said the Police Department, which was $88,000 over budget in the first quarter but was expected to make budget by year’s end, had reduced overtime in the first quarter by 33 percent over the same period last year.
“They’re doing a [...]
Also posted in Dale Fritchen, Kevin O'Rourke Tagged Budget crisis, Dale Fritchen, Kevin O'Rourke 0 Comments
Morning roundup
The City Council’s budget and finance committee meets at 3 p.m. to discuss budget versus actual through September, the first three months of the fiscal year.
From Moody’s
From a report today by Moody’s Investors Service, in which it sustained City Hall’s credit rating and pulled it from its watch list (Moody’s, apparently, is more optimistic about the city’s deal with its fire union than the fire union is):
The city has reached an agreement with the fire safety union saving approximately $7.1 million [...]
Federal government to fund 20 officers (updated)
The federal government announced this morning that Stockton will receive $7.9 million over three years in aid for police, enough to pay 20 police officers.
The funding is to maintain department staffing at about 380 officers, officials have said.
Update: Interim Police Chief Blair Ulring said the funding would likely maintain staffing of at least 367 officers, [...]
More from City Hall: Police deal approved
The City Council has reconvened following a two-hour discussion of fired Deputy City Manager Johnny Ford. Consent — including the labor agreement with Stockton police — has been approved 6-0 (Councilman Dale Fritchen is absent). It is less crowded in chambers, now, and cooler.
Budget impact
The impact of the state budget agreement on the city’s emaciated general fund is likely to be about $5 million, though it is unclear how much of that would be in loans or permanent takings, Chief Financial Officer Mark Moses said this afternoon.
The agreement would also take from Stockton’s redevelopment arm.
“The magnitude of what they [...]
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More from City Hall: Hittle on the deal
Fire Chief Ron Hittle took a minute to the side to talk about the tentative labor deal. He said he believes the union membership will ratify it.
“I’m very proud of them to come to the table,” he said.
He said the $7.2 million in concessions “more than likely” averted station closures (brownouts, they’re called) or layoffs. Of the deal, [...]
Letter writing
Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, today sent a second letter to the Department of Justice encouraging it to fund the Stockton Police Department’s request for aid. His first letter failed to do the trick.
Here is Round 2:
July 1, 2009
Attorney General Eric Holder
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Dear Attorney General Holder:
I recently learned that [...]
No deal
The City Council emerged this hour from a special closed session meeting to discuss labor and announced no action had been taken. Agreements with the fire and police unions were on the table. Vice Mayor Kathy Miller said the council needed more time to consider them.

Militiaman Pettet on the marina