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Contact:
Cisco DeVries
(510) 981-7103 |
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2004
MAYOR
BATES, COUNCIL MEMBERS
PROPOSE BALLOT MEASURE
TO RESTORE YOUTH SERVICE AND SAFETY PROGRAMS
Mayor
Bates and Council Members Maio, Hawley, and Worthington look to save after
school programs, school police officers, crossing guards, and summer camps
from budget cuts.
Berkeley, CA – With hundreds of
thousands of dollars in cuts to youth service and safety programs looming,
Mayor Tom Bates and three Members of the City Council are proposing the
City explore placing a new youth service revenue measure on the November
ballot.
Over $800,000 in cuts to youth
programs have already been identified as the City looks to close a
projected $17 million deficit over the next two fiscal years.
The City’s after school and summer programs, school crossing
guards, school-based police officers, and programs delivered by
community-based youth-serving agencies have all been identified for
reductions or elimination.
The new measure could restore
those cuts and make modest expansion of effective programs that serve and
protect Berkeley’s youth. The
first step in the process of placing this measure on the ballot comes on
March 23rd when the City Council will vote whether to refer the
drafting of specific language to staff.
The Council would then need to approve final language and a
specific funding source by July 20th.
“The City of Berkeley has a
wonderful history of support for critical youth safety, after school,
recreation, and other programs,” said Mayor Bates.
“These programs work. They provide kids with safe places to play
and learn. In this time of budget crisis, I believe residents should
have the opportunity to prioritize these efforts and provide the funding
to keep them in place.”
The
need for youth safety and service programs is well documented.
In 2002, thirty-three percent (33%) of crimes in Berkeley involving
youth victims occurred between the hours of 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Over the last six years numerous published reports and case studies
about Berkeley’s youth identified the issues of truancy, violence and
other risky behaviors as top priorities to be addressed by the community.
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