Fresno, CA

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors finally decided on a 2007-2008 budget Thursday, July 19, 2007 after four days of hearings. The Fresno Bee reported the Board’s claim that the county is too broke to spend $50,000 on consolidating certain law enforcement services with the Fresno Police Department.

Channel 30 news reported that Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer compelled the Board to keep the city/county traffic ticket profit sharing agreement intact. Channel 30 also reported the Board is considering an increase in impact fees which could generate as much as $20,000 annually.

Dyer reportedly told the Board, “Simply as a result of our revenue sharing agreement, you would’ve gotten $5,000, in lieu of that you got $3, 827M…nearly $4M more…Traffic fatalities are down 28.8% percent between 2002 and 2006. That’s 53 fewer families that had to bury a loved one in our city as a result of our efforts and those are City and County resident”

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors and Fresno City Council announced the consolidation of certain Fresno County Sheriff and Fresno City Police functions on July 13, 2007. The Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce (GFACC) hired a consulting firm, Management Partners, Inc. in January 2006 to research and recommend procedures for integrating functions of the two law enforcement departments. The report was submitted to the GFACC in May 2006.

A board of directors will govern the consolidation with Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims and Fresno City Police Chief Jerry Dyer as board members. The Fresno Bee reported the Police Department will “take over property and evidence storage,” while the Sheriff’s Department will process prisoners.