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Manteca cuts 99 workers in 4 years
Jobs covered by general fund shrink 39%
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Manteca has grown by just under 5,000 residents to push 70,000 since 2007-08.

That reflects a 7.7 percent increase in population.

At the same time, Manteca’s municipal workforce supported by the general fund has decreased by 39 dropping from 310 down to 188 workers for a 39 percent decline.

The culprit for the drop-off is a decline in revenues as the result of the Great Recession and accompanying mortgage meltdown that reduced property and sales taxes. Those two revenue sources account for close to 79 cents of every $1 that goes into the general fund. The general fund pays for day-to-day services such as public safety, parks, and street maintenance.

Manteca actually has 331 municipal employees down from 430 four years ago for a decline of 99 workers. The additional workers are paid for from special revenue sources such as the enterprise funds covered by users’ fees such as for garbage, sewer, and water pay for expenses.

The proposed municipal budget for the non-general fund solid waste, wastewater treatment, and water operations reflects just a loss of one worker over the four years for a total of 88 employees today. Despite increases in population, the enterprise accounts have been able to avoid hiring additional workers for the three essential services by improving efficiency.

The community development staffing is now funded entirely by an account paid into by fees related to growth and building permits. That reflects eight positions. Four years ago, the general fund has 16 community development positions.

While the plight of the Manteca Police force’s sworn officer manpower garners all of the attention, the department didn’t take the biggest hit by far. That dubious honor belongs to street maintenance and community development as each department experienced a 50 percent cut in staff with both going from 16 workers down to 8 apiece over the past four years.

Right behind streets and community development is Parks and Recreation that went from 45 down to 26 workers since 2008. Building safety also experienced a big drop going from 9 positions to 5 today.

The ranks of the Manteca Police Department - sworn and support personnel - numbered 104 employees four years ago.

In the budget now being considered by the City Council that includes hiring four more police officers means there are 82 people assigned to the department. It reflects just under a 17 percent decrease in manpower.

Of the 82 posiitons in the police department, only 65 or 80 percent are supported by the general fund. Fifteen are funded by the Measure M half cent public safety tax and another two by a public safety endowment fund established by developers.

Manteca Fire has 44 positions of which 32 are covered by the general fund and nine by Measure M tax receipts.

The status of the municipal workforce is gleaned from the adopted operating budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year compared to the proposed spending plan for 2012-13.   The general fund expenditures in 2008-09 were $39.8 million and included a $7.9 million structured deficit or spending $7.9 million more than the city collected in fees and taxes that year. The proposed 2012-13 general fund is $27.4 million with a structural deficit of $1.43 million.