Petaluma Dealing With Public Pension Costs

The Santa Rosa Press- Democrat reports the Sonoma County city of Petaluma is dealing with a real tight budget this year. Unlike up here they admit most of the problem is due to rising employee health care and pension costs:

"The rise in expenditures comes almost exclusively from employee salary and benefit costs. Retirement and health care costs are expected to rise by $1 million, while three new positions will add another $300,000. Another $1 million in salaries was moved to the general fund this year as part of a different accounting method, but isn't actually new spending.

Of Petaluma's general fund, which pays for most city operations and where most of the council's discretionary spending exists, 79 percent is spent on salaries and benefits. The police and fire departments budgets account for 72 percent of the general fund."

I again can't help but wonder how Eureka's budget numbers compare to theirs?