Revenue decline impacts Concord’s downtown safety efforts
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 4, 2025) — The City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 11 to spend $20,400 to continue the Downtown Welcome & Cleanliness Program from May 11 to June 30. But, the approval came with the caveat that the Todos Santos Business Association (TSBA) needs to find a more permanent funding stream.
Original money for the program came from a one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant of $458,000 through the city in 2023, along with a $50,000 grant from the Brenden-Mann Foundation. The new money is “gap” funding to get through the end of the city’s fiscal year.
At last week’s meeting, the council heard a mid-year budget update that showed a $1.4 million decrease in anticipated revenue along with a $2.5 million increase in the CalPERS pension liability. Given that information, Councilmembers Pablo Benavente, Dominic Aliano and Laura Hoffmeister all warned that the city may not be able to fund the downtown program going forward.
“We just heard from our budget presentation tonight that things are not as rosy as we thought they were a couple years ago,” Hoffmeister said. “The economy is rough, and it’s gotten rougher. So, I see that the next couple years are going to be pretty choppy waters.
“With our funding streams not being as robust as we thought they were, I definitely encourage the TSBA to look at self-sustainability … because there is no guarantee that council will support this beyond this short-term funding.”
A decrease in ‘negative contacts’ and graffiti
According to TSBA president Walter Eichinger, the group launched the program in May 2023 with three key priorities:
- A daily security officer to patrol parking garages, Todos Santos Plaza and the downtown business district by foot, bike and vehicle.
- A daily day-porter to pick up trash, clean graffiti, and wipe down park benches, tables and trash cans.
- Monthly pressure washing services.
In an interview with the Pioneer last week, Eichinger said “negative contacts” have gone from 80-100 a month to less than 15. He credited much of the success to security guard Israel from AX9, who patrols the area with “nothing but a uniform, a badge and a cell phone” and talks to people who are using drugs, blocking building entrances, camping in elevators or using the plaza as their toilet.
“In the entire program, he has not put hands on anybody – not one time,” Eichinger said. “There has not been one complaint. In fact, it’s nothing but appreciation and compliments. He’s respectful of everybody.”
Eichinger also reported that just having the officer present has led to a decrease in graffiti. And, he pointed to support from Concord’s Public Works, Engineering and Police departments.
In light of the council’s concerns, Eichinger said the TSBA will launch a new fundraising push with businessowners and landlords. Eichinger, a senior vice president at Brenden Theatres, added that the Brenden-Mann Foundation has already committed $1,000 a month starting in June.
Why revenue estimates fell short
City manager Valerie Barone pointed to several factors leading to Concord’s revenue decline, which includes a sale tax decrease of $3.5 million over expectations.
“It’s a slowing of car sales. It’s a general softening of consumer spending in the market because of high interest rates,” she told the council. “We notice car sales because we rely on car sales so heavily, but you see it in every sector of sales – including building construction from our stores. We also have our downtown office buildings with a lot fewer people in them who aren’t going and eating and buying like they might if they were in town.”
Barone noted that the budget was based on estimates from two years ago. “We projected a growth that just hasn’t happened.”
The council will continue discussing city funding at the May 13 Biennial Operating Budget Workshop.
Bev Britton
Bev Britton graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of North Dakota and moved to the Bay Area with her soon-to-be husband Jim in 1986. She was features editor at the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek before becoming managing editor of the Contra Costa Sun in Lafayette in 1995. She retired from newsrooms in 2001, but an ad for the Clayton Pioneer drew her back in. The family moved to Lake Wildwood in the Gold Country a few years ago - but working at the Pioneer keeps her in touch with her old neighborhoods in Concord and Clayton.