The extra penny that shoppers in Lathrop paid on every dollar spent in town went a long way last fiscal year.

According to the status report for the fiscal year that ended on June 30 of last year, Measure C funding paid for 5.5 police officers – two community impact team deputies, an administrative sergeant, a school resource officer, a detective, and half of a traffic deputy (the general fund paid the other half) – as well as the staffing for the Lathrop Generations Center.

Measure C funding also paid for capital improvement projects like the installation of crime deterrent cameras, a citywide fiber network, a fence around the skate park, and a new floor for the Lathrop Senior Center.

And police weren’t the only public safety element funded by the extra penny paid on every dollar.

With its portion of Measure C revenue, the Lathrop Manteca Fire District paid the salaries of nine firefighter engineers and 1.98 line battalion chiefs, and purchased advanced life support equipment, dive equipment, and equipment for Engine 35.

The Lathrop Manteca Fire District receives 40 percent of Measure C revenue through an agreement with the City of Lathrop.

While the revenue source has helped both the city and the fire district add positions and projects that might not have otherwise be possible, neither entity has been freewheeling with the money, according to the staff report prepared for the Measure C Oversight Committee that met this week.

According to the report, the city remains aware and alert of the uncertainty during the economic recovery from the pandemic and is ensuring that ample reserves exist in the event of a downturn or other unexpected issue.

The city currently maintains a reserve fund of $769,926 – approximately 25 percent of expenses made with Measure C money – and had over $4.5 million in Measure C funds in the account as of June of 2022.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.