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Letter to Mayor Russom and City Council

Arroyo Grande, CA

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To:πŸ”—Β lgeorge@arroyogrande.org, kstorton@arroyogrande.org, jpaulding@arroyogrande.org, kbarneich@arroyogrande.org, crayrussom@arroyogrande.org
Subject: [*** INSERT UNIQUE SUBJECT LINE ***]
Message:Β (Don't forget to replace the [x]'s with your information!)πŸ”—

Dear Mayor Caren Russom and Arroyo Grande City Council

My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a resident of Arroyo Grande. I am writing to demand that the Arroyo Grande City Council adopt a city budget that prioritizes community well-being, and redirects funding away from the police.

In 2019, the City of Arroyo Grande allocated $6,950,000 dollars to our police system, an inordinate 39% of our total budget. This is much higher than the amount of money allocated towards community development ($1,926,900) and affordable housing development ($0). Next year, the city estimates that there will be deficits as a result of the pandemic. The city may recoup these funds by decreasing the police budget.

I demand that the City Council begin meaningfully defunding the Arroyo Grande Police Department and re-allocate those funds to programs proven to more effectively promote a safe and equitable community. We need funding for community-based mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, affordable housing programs, not police. I demand a budget that reflects the actual needs of Arroyo Grande residents.

History has shown that police β€œreform” is not enough. No more money, and more importantly, no more lives must be lost to police. We must take a hard look at the way the current system in place fails to serve-and in fact actively harms-our community, and come together to reimagine the role of police in our city.

I am urging you to completely revise the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and to invest in the people, not the police.

Thank you for your time,

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR EMAIL]
[YOUR PHONE NUMBER]


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