This morning someone associated with 2014’s Yes on Measure Q campaign papered Old Town vehicles with informational flyers, urging residents to show up for the big June 3 Eureka City Council budget meeting.

“The City of Eureka is considering possible cuts to its Public Safety budget,” the flyers read. “These cuts would eliminate 14 positions from Eureka’s Police Department and a closure of Fire Station 4 at Myrtle and West. These are the same cuts that we were all promised would be avoided by passing Measure Q!”

Recipients of this handbill are directed to a resuscitated Measure Q website, which has been updated with essentially the same content.

When citizens of Eureka approved Q last year, they affirmed that they would continue to pay an extra half-percent sales tax on purchases within the city limits. The argument made by Q supporters – and the city itself – was that such a tax would be necessary to keep public safety services whole.

“Without Measure Q funding … it is anticipated that one fire station will need to close, increasing response time for emergency calls,” reads a pro-Q brochure still available on the city’s website. “Police services will be impacted through a reduction in both sworn police officers and support personnel.” Eurekans voted for the tax … and they’re getting most of that, anyway.

But Eureka Police Chief Andy Mills sounds pretty resigned to the upcoming cuts to his department’s budget over on his blog, and today he outlines some of the changes he expects to see to the EPD’s duties as a result of the upcoming loss of most of his civilian staff. Among them: Cops will not respond to most traffic accidents. Citizens will have to pick up and dispose of hypodermic needles found on their own property, and they’ll have to file reports of property crime online.

“Wearing a few too many pounds around my waist I can tell you firsthand, I would rather not exercise and diet,” Mills writes. “But I do. I know I need to. Budgetarily so does the City of Eureka. There needs to be a structurally sound and sustainable budget to move us forward and help us achieve our goals as a community.”

That special budget meeting of the Eureka City Council is happening at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, inside council chambers at City Hall (531 K St.)

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