Manteca has 75 sworn officers.

There are four candidates in background check that will bring the department up to its budgeted allotment of 78 officers including covering the anticipated retirement of Captain Greg Beall at the end of the year.

That said, when the hiring is completed the department will still have five less officers than the 83 positions they were budgeted in 2009.

That was the year prior to deep budget cuts due to the Great Recession. The police officers association  at the time opted for manpower reduction instead of what would have translated into a 20 percent annual pay cut for every officer to keep all officers on the job.

The option for reducing staffing or 20 percent pay cuts were given to each municipal  employee bargaining group so the city could balance its budget after taking a big revenue hit due to cratering property taxes.

Manteca was one of the hardest hit cities in the mortgage meltdown triggered by liar loans.

Funding for police and safety staffing  will be addressed on Wednesday, Oct. 18, when  the Public Safety Sales Tax Oversight Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

The citizens oversight committee is responsible to make sure the ballot measure voters passed in 2006 authorizing a half cent sales tax is followed.

Currently, there are 20 sworn officers — 18 officers and two sergeants — funded with the sales tax out of the 78 allotted positions.

In addition, 36 percent of the fire department’s 24/7 staffing for frontline personnel at the five city stations or 18 of the overall 45 positions are covered by the sales tax.

The City Council tonight will consider tapping into $200,000 in Measure M sales tax receipts to purchase two used fire engines to replace apparatus that is as old as 26 years that backs up frontline engines.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, the sales tax brought in $10.2 million while expenditures were at $9.3 million.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com