On Tuesday, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe suggested they look at a ballot initiative to fund several items that were not fully funded.
During future agenda items, although details were not provided, Thorpe said the discussion will revolved around infrastructure and on items that are not fully funded, such as the crisis response team and homeless hotel are only funded for 2-years. If they did a Home Key application, there is not funding to do additional thing. Department of Public Safety and Community Resources have components that are grant funded. He said the mayors apprenticeship program is only funded for two cohorts.
“I am all for grants but we can’t just cross our fingers and hope we live the next day, we have to have sustainable resources to keep these programs going,” stated Thorpe. “If we don’t find additional funding for these critical programs that are being demanded by our residents are going to go away or we are going to have to cut in other areas in order to fund these programs”.
He said in the future, they are going to have to look at ballot measures and additional revenue.
Editors Note
- Antioch agreed to pay $3.6 million for 24-hour crisis response
- Antioch agreed to pay $2.46 million annually for a 32-room homeless motel on E 18th St.
- According to the recent Point in Time homeless count, while most cities saw reduction in homeless, Antioch saw and increase of 96 with a total of 334 homeless individuals.
- In February, Antioch Finance Director sounded the alarm over city spending and available funds. She said the deficit could be $8.3 million in 2023/24 and $9.8 million in 24/25,
Side Shows Ordinance to Return
Thorpe also stated they had “zero tolerance” for sideshows in the city which they had a proactive detail dealing with side shows that may have been impacted by the CAL-DOJ, FBI-DA investigation–he said they did an excellent job by preventing sideshows from happening. He said some of the challenges is some on this proactive detail may be on administrative leave.
He said they do have an ordinance that needs to come back to cite spectators and urged them to bring it back. He believed the Antioch Police Department had an ordinance ready.
“I’d add to that, we need to add an ordinance that permanently confiscates your vehicle, period! So we can look at that as well,” said Thorpe. “Even if the police don’t show up, we have high tech tools to locate individuals who have participated in sideshows. Then the police will show up and confiscate cars and fine them.”
Editors note:
- May 12, 2023: Pico Rivera Passes Street Takeover Ordinance Allowing for Permanent Seizure of Cars
- Sept. 23, 2022: Bill to Crack Down on Street Racing and Illegal Sideshows Signed by Governor
Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker proposed several future agenda items:
- Begin a General Plan Update — wants a discussion
- Vision and strategic planning session — wants an update as its not discussed again. More than 80 unfilled positions with many vacant for years.
- Presentation from Economic Development Department on Economic Infrastructure Finance District (EIFD)
- Presentation to address aging population and lack of robust resources available — Center of Elder Independence.
- Bring back Zoom or the public (regardless if council can participate)
- Bring back presentation on traffic enforcement with police department
- Bring back a discussion on the cruising ban
- Appoint citizens to the police oversight commission — want to get audit started.
- Requests a vote for a special meeting on July 10 at 10:00 am for a public employee improvement addressing the City Manager.
9 comments
I will be voting NO on any proposed ballot measures for funding homeless hotels and the like or for that matter anything Thorpe proposes. He’s trying to make Antioch a social services resource on the backs of people who are already paying dearly thru the nose. What about quality of life issues for hardworking taxpaying citizens? What about elevated crime levels? What about the inadequate response to code violations that are dragging down property values? These issues are not even on the radar, but you want more money to burn? Please! It’s time for you to GO!
Why would anyone want to climb out of homelessness when everything is given to them, including immunity from stealing?
No, no, a thousand times NO! The Mayor’s proposed additional citizens-funded ideas are stupid and irresponsible. He first pushes his hair-brained ideas, votes for them, and now wants the public to pay more towards HIS pet projects. He personally should fund them out of his own personal pockets and then set up a press conference with the news media called in, and then brag about how he gets things done!
He should have had how these pet projects would be funded without any furder take from the already strapped public. But, he has a real ego problem and wants the public to pay more for these things. The Homeless should find their own way to pay for these extras, and the Crisis Response Team too is another unthought of upcoming failure to come, because it will only lead to future unthought of risks involved.
Thorpe is leading this once bright and great City towards the gutter, and fast. Antioch used to be a very desirable community, but not anymore with Twerp and his cheerleaders. You wanted it, now pay for it yourself out of your assets.
The City of Antioch is going to “permanently confiscate” motor vehicles involved in sideshows? While I laud the emotion, Mr. Thorpe had better get some expert legal advice before he tries to march down that road. If it were that easy, MANY communities would have enacted such ordinances already.
Absolutely not another penny for homeless services, NOTHING! Thorpe’s legacy should not become Antioch’s liability.
Antioch- “we love our unhoused”
City council and mayor certainly are not behaving like it’s their money they are spending so freely.
With Antioch households already in bad financial shape because of inflation to think they would vote to have less money is not rational.
When down turn in economy comes along late 2023 early 2024 with city looking already looking at red ink in the city budget which city employees will get laid off this time. During last economic down turn in 2010 didn’t six Antioch Police officers get laid off?
No police officers were ever laid off. The individuals from the PD that were laid off were CSOs, even though a few that worked in Evidence were spared. The CSO duties were just reabsorbed for officers to do. NO POLICE OFFICERS WERE LAID OFF.
I thought we already had funds for the homeless project. Or was that money somehow lost or were the funds turned down when offered by the government. I can’t remember all the details but I would love to hear from a homeless advocate on this subject. I do know mayor Thorpe has taken credit for many things that the advocates have done for the homeless. This definitely needs to be looked into. Nicole Gardner would be someone who has all this information.
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