The Fresno City Council voted 5-2 today to back Mayor Ashley Swearengin's proposal for an independent police auditor. Swearengin is now calling the post the Office of Independent Review.
Only Council Members Mike Dages and Henry T. Perea voted against the plan.
The office will cost $285,000 this year, and the funding will come from the existing city budget. A third staff member wil be added next year and the budget will be $360,000 per year. The post sunsets in four years.
Swearengin and Police Chief Jerry Dyer wrote this op/ed last week explaining the need for the position.
Former Mayor Jim Patterson wrote this op/ed for The Bee telling why it's a bad idea.
"Political insulation?" Miro Spiro
The answer is yes, $250,000 worth the first year.
"The office will cost $285,000 this year, and the funding will come from the existing city budget. A third staff member wil be added next year and the budget will be $360,000 per year. The post sunsets in four years."
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That is weird. Since the oversight is not going to have any investigating powers, what is being done for those $285.000? And the police officers are not going to beat up people on a 40 hour a week basis. Whose brother, uncle or sister in law is getting that money? It almost seems that the oversight needs an overseer. NUTS
You go, Mayor. Awesome!