Proposed spending for the fiscal year that starts in July will follow the court-approved bankruptcy plan, with slightly more revenues than expenditures, except that the city doesn’t expect to be able to hire police as fast as the budget calls for, the San Bernardino County (Calif.) Sun reported yesterday. A workshop, the first of several planned before the city council votes on the budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, set out a plan for minimal increases in most departments, as total revenue is expected to climb to $119.86 million, an increase of about $7 million from last year’s budget. Residents and city officials consistently list public safety as a top priority, and a five-year plan to increase spending on police is a centerpiece of the city’s bankruptcy exit plan, which was officially confirmed in February. While the police department budget — more than 60 percent of the total general fund budget — does call for a significant increase in hiring, recruiting and retaining officers is more of a limit than dollars. That would mean close to 260 sworn officers on the force a year from now. The budget also calls for $1.3 million to replace police vehicles.
