HomeMy WebLinkAbout03 - - Additional Documents - 5/25/2021From: William Bradford <jwbradford2@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 1:19 AM
To: CITY CLERK
Subject: Study Session 5/25 Item 1 Public Comment
If the city's budget proposal passes as is, CMPD's budget will increase more than any other city department:
almost $3 million.
CMPD comprises approximately one third of the city's budget. At about $51,000,000 per 113,000 residents,
Costa Mesa spends approximately $450 per resident per year on policing. For comparison, LAPD costs Los
Angelinos $300 per person, 1.5 times less than Costa Mesa. What are we spending all that on and where
could that money go instead?
Officers make, on average, $170,000 per year, benefits included. Meanwhile, NMUSD's teachers make
$115,000 on average, benefits included. Should police get paid, on average, $55,000 more than their teacher
counterparts? No, they shouldn't. Yes, teacher's salaries are not set by the city of Costa Mesa, but out of
principle, this overvaluation of the police force and undervaluation of the entire educational system is blatantly
ridiculous.
The police department is overfunded in Costa Mesa. Even so, of the $3 million increase in police funding, one
third is going toward police salary increases. How about putting that money into expanding community services
that don't incite fear simply by existing. Just food for thought.
William Bradford