Pittsburg Public Safety Operations Sales Tax will expire in December if not renewed

Tax that funds emergency responders will end if it is not extended.

March 31, 2023

By Cecily Stephens

UPDATE: The Public Safety Operations Sales Tax was renewed April 11, 2023.

Key takeaways

• Public Safety Operations Sales Tax will expire at the end of the year if not renewed
• Voters can opt to renew the tax at a special election on April 11
• The tax funds emergency responders in the Pittsburg area

The Public Safety Operations Sales Tax, which funds Pittsburg public safety departments such as police and fire, is scheduled to expire in December of this year unless it is renewed.

“Ten years ago, the people of Pittsburg thought that public safety was important enough to institute the Public Safety Sales Tax,” said Pittsburg City Commissioner Stu Hite. “We urge everyone to renew the tax for another ten years.”

The half-cent sales tax was approved by Pittsburg voters in 2013. The revenues from the tax support the city’s police and fire departments by funding new equipment purchases, new or expanded services, emergency operations training and new personnel.

“The tax helps to ensure that the community will have the best possible response to emergency situations,” Hite said. “It has allowed the police and fire departments to replace antiquated equipment and implement newer technology and techniques that greatly enhance their ability to protect our community.”

A special election to renew the tax will be held April 11 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hite stressed that it is only a continuation of the existing half-cent sales tax and will not result in a tax increase.  

The city of Pittsburg began collecting the sales tax in March 2014. According to the city’s website, Pittsburg received $19,276,745 as of Dec. 31, 2022, and the amount in reserves for 2021 was $1,821,786, which was used to supplement the following year’s expenses. 

The city’s website states that Pittsburg’s Insurance Services Office rating, a score that reflects how well a city can protect the community from fires, was upgraded as a result of the enhancements that were made possible by the tax. The improved ISO rating will reduce insurance premiums within the community. 

The tax allowed the Pittsburg Police Department to enhance its services to the community through additional staffing, technology and equipment. Police Chief Brent Narges says that the additional funds have been invaluable to the police department.  

“The benefits to the department and to the community can’t be overstated,” Narges said.

Acquisitions for the police department include new uniforms, more patrol units, additional training for officers, an updated records management system, and geographic information systems software for aerial mapping, a valuable tool for search and rescue efforts. The tax also paid for more personnel, including dispatchers, customer service representatives and clerical support.  

“All these additions have increased response time and improved the overall efficiency of the department,” Narges said.

The tax funded the establishment of a crime analysis unit and a narcotics unit as well. The crime analysis unit studies crime patterns, trends and problems in the Pittsburg area and the narcotics division is focused on illegal drug trafficking in the community.

The Pittsburg Fire Department has significantly benefited from the tax. It enabled the department to upgrade its equipment, provide training in new techniques, and replace a 30-year-old fire truck.

“The tax has been a huge benefit for us,” said Pittsburg Fire Chief Taylor Cerne. “We’ve been able to purchase equipment that the department really needed.”

The new equipment includes better protective structural firefighting gear, commonly referred to as bunker gear. It typically consists of fire-retardant clothing, gloves, boots, helmets, personal alarm systems and personal breathing apparatus.

One significant upgrade was the self-contained breathing apparatus that provides clean breathing gas to firefighters wearing masks. SCBA is crucial for firefighters who encounter toxic gas, heavy smoke or harmful particulate matter.

Cerne said the Pittsburg fire department’s supply of SBCA was inadequate and the equipment was outdated. He added that the new equipment is much lighter and more efficient.

The technology behind protective gear for firefighters continues to evolve, and there are now improved versions of SCBA. Cerne says that the tax will help the fire department to obtain better equipment as it becomes available.  

Pittsburg Mayor Ron Seglie said that the Pittsburg Safety Operations Sale tax is an important provision for the well-being of the community. Renewing the tax will help to ensure that the public safety departments are adequately funded and able to take advantage of new technology as it emerges.

“We are so lucky to live in a city that has so many amenities for its size,” Seglie said. “But there is always room for improvement.”

For more information about the Pittsburg Safety Operations Sales Tax, see www.pittks.org/publicsafety