Calexico seeks public safety options

Calexico city officials have authorized City Manager Armando Villa to shop around for public safety options.

“Calexico is in a severe financial restraints right now. We are spending about 75% – possibly close to 80% – of our budget on public safety,” Calexico City Council member Armando Real said.

He said options could include outsourcing police duties.

“For example Sheriff or El Centro PD or Imperial County Fire Department,” Real said.

Public safety takes a large chunk out of city budget, according to Real.

“There’s really nothing left to go ahead and run the city ,” Real said.

He said all options to save money are on the table.

“It’s not just cuts for the police department or fire department but it’s pretty much for the whole city. Everybody’s feeling the pain,” Real said.

City council members are doing their part, according to Real.

“We completely took away our medical insurance which is going to save the city close to seventy thousand dollars a year,” Real said.

Real said the city wants to keep local control of services.

“There are current negotiations going on with city manager and the police and fire union to try and mitigate that so we can hopefully keep our own police department and fire department,” Real said.

Losing the local police department would be a worst-case scenario, according to Real.

“You have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” Real said.
Council member Maritza Hurtado said outsourcing public safety is a complex process.

“There are so many details that need to be covered still,” Hurtado said.
She said shopping for public safety should be a job for the new council which will meet in December.

“Maybe we should have saved it for the council that will be dealing with the overall issue from here on end,” Hurtado said.

But Real said the time to act is now.

“In the city of Calexico we can no longer afford the public safety we have now,” Real said.

Real said it’s past time for Calexico to live within its current means.